Electrolyte abnormalities
Relate an abnormal result to the patient and recognise problems needing immediate review.
Clinical learning outcomes: Awaiting named clinical review.
What you should learn
- Suggest causes using medicines, renal function, losses and examination.
- Identify urgent electrolyte concerns and explain the need for monitoring.
Recognise and explain
- Interpret a result with sample quality, trends and clinical findings; ECG changes are not a universal rule-out test.
On your placement
Review de-identified results or an agreed patient case with a clinician; treatment decisions remain with the responsible team.
- Review a result and prior values with a clinician.
- Discuss an ECG where potassium disturbance is relevant.
- Follow the treatment and repeat-test plan without independently choosing a correction regimen.
The DKA lesson follows potassium trends during treatment; it is not a general electrolyte-correction protocol.
Start here
MLA: assessing and prescribing intravenous fluids
Review fluid and electrolyte considerations as part of a supervised prescription.
Current guidance
UK Kidney Association hyperkalaemia guideline
Read the hospital assessment, ECG and monitoring sections for adult hyperkalaemia; discuss treatment decisions with your supervisor.
NICE NG148: acute kidney injury
Review detection, causes and urgent complications of AKI, using baseline creatinine, urine output and the clinical picture.
NICE CG174: IV fluids in adults
Use the adult assessment and reassessment sections to discuss why fluids are needed and how their effect will be checked.
Discuss
Recognising and managing diabetic ketoacidosis
Recognise DKA, interpret early treatment trends and escalate electrolyte or neurological deterioration.
On your next shift
Explain why the team chose the urgency of correction and next blood test.
How this relates to GMC graduate outcomes and the MLA
These are St Emlyn’s learning connections, not a claim that this page covers every national requirement.
Presentations and conditions: Electrolyte abnormalities.
Clinical and professional capabilities: Assessment and clinical reasoning; Recognising limits and seeking help.
St Emlyn’s interpretation of relevant GMC graduate outcomes and MLA themes; these are summary labels, not official topic codes or a complete curriculum.
Explore the student placement programme
Student practice and graduate expectations
About this resource and its review
A St Emlyn’s guide to learning Emergency Medicine during undergraduate placements. It is not an official medical-school or GMC curriculum. Your medical school’s curriculum and assessment requirements take precedence.
National foundations: GMC Outcomes for Graduates, the practical-skills supplement and the MLA content map applying from September 2026.
Framework checked: 8 October 2026. This is a source check, not clinical sign-off.
Clinical learning outcomes: awaiting named clinical review.
The four learning routes are St Emlyn’s groupings. The six interconnected MLA domains remain part of the official content map.