Office laboratory evaluation of fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders.

Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders are common entities in office practice and usually require laboratory studies for complete evaluation. Many common studies (for example, dipstick urinalysis) that are ubiquitous to the office laboratory can provide significant preliminary information concerning the presence and nature of these disorders. New levels of precision in the evaluation of fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders have recently been added to the office laboratory with the development of relatively inexpensive, reliable, and easy-to-operate chemical analytic systems. These systems now provide many studies conveniently to the office practice that once required the support of hospital or commercial laboratories.