Pediatric electrolyte emergencies: recognition and management in the emergency department.

Early recognition and treatment of electrolyte abnormalities protect the patient from derangements in the renal, myocardiac, and central nervous systems. Correction of electrolyte derangements decreases both morbidity and mortality. This issue reviews sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus abnormalities and provides a systematic approach to the evaluation and management of the ill child with an electrolyte emergency.