80% of all calcium is bound to albumin in circulation. However, the biologically active form of calcium is the free, or ionized form, which is occasionally ordered as a separate test. Typically, a total serum calcium level should be…
As hospitals around the country reach critical capacity of patients with COVID-19, treatment focus shifts to ways we can treat people more aggressively before they even need hospitalization at all. At this point, just about every medication already on…
Potassium is the major INTRACELLULAR cation in the body. Remember that sodium is primarily outside of the cell. Well, potassium finds its home at higher concentrations within cells throughout the body. Along with sodium, it regulates intracellular volume, plays…
Sodium is the primary extracellular cation in the body. It regulates osmotic forces, it is involved in membrane transport systems, it helps regulate many chemical reactions as well as aid in acid-base balance. The picture shown here is of…
To date, 1 in 378 people in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 as communities are experiencing a seemingly exponential rise in cases with no end in sight. Healthcare systems in many parts of the United States…