Chloride Information
The Chloride Information
By: Dr. George Obikoya
Chloride is one of the most important minerals
in the blood, along with sodium, potassium, and calcium. Chloride
helps keep the amount of fluid inside and outside of cells in balance.
It also helps maintain proper blood volume, blood pressure, and
pH of body fluids.
Chloride is a binary compound of chlorine; a salt
of hydrochloric acid. In health, blood serum contains 100 to 110
mmol/L of chloride ions. Chloride is the major extracellular anion
and contributes to many body functions including the maintenance
of osmotic pressure, acid-base balance, muscular activity, and the
movement of water between fluid compartments. It is associated with
sodium in the blood and was the first electrolyte to be routinely
measured in the blood. Chloride ions are secreted in the gastric
juice as hydrochloric acid, which is essential for the digestion
of food.
Most of the chloride in the body comes from table salt (sodium chloride)
in the diet. Chloride is absorbed by the intestine during food digestion.
Any excess chloride is passed out of the body through the urine.
Chloride levels in the blood generally rise and fall along with
sodium levels in the blood. The amount of chloride in the blood
is indirectly regulated by the hormone aldosterone, which also regulates
the amount of sodium in the blood.
The amount of chloride decreases when the amount of sodium in the
blood decreases, and vice versa. The level of chloride in the blood
is also related to the level of bicarbonate. When the amount of
bicarbonate decreases, the amount of chloride normally increases,
and vice versa. A test for chloride is usually done on a blood sample
taken from a vein. Tests for sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate
are usually done at the same time as a blood test for chloride.
Occasionally, a test for chloride can be done on a sample of all
the urine collected over a 24 hour period (called a 24-hour urine
sample) to evaluate how much chloride is being released into the
urine.
A test for chloride may be done to:
Evaluate the electrolyte balance in the body. Too little chloride
can cause muscle twitching, muscle spasms, or shallow breathing.
Too much chloride can be associated with rapid deep breathing, weakness,
confusion, and coma.
Help determine whether a problem with the kidneys or adrenals is
present.
Help determine the cause for high blood pH. A condition called metabolic
alkalosis can be caused by a loss of acid from the body (for example,
from a loss of electrolytes through prolonged vomiting or diarrhea).
Metabolic alkalosis can also result when the body loses too much
sodium or from eating excessive amounts of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).
Chloride is an important component of salt, which is actually sodium
chloride. People who have congestive heart failure, kidney disease,
or high blood pressure would benefit from decreasing their salt
consumption. Your body maintains a closely regulated concentration
of sodium in your body. If you eat a lot of salt (sodium chloride),
then the concentration of sodium increases. To bring it back to
normal, your body has two options: excrete the excessive sodium
in your urine, or hold onto more water so you can dilute the concentration
of sodium in your blood. If you hold onto more water, then you may
feel more bloated. Also, your blood pressure may increase, because
you have more volume in a closed blood vessel system.
One of the consequences of high blood pressure is progressive kidney
damage, as with every beat of your heart, your blood hits the kidney
tubules with excessive force. As your kidneys become more damaged,
they lose the ability to excrete salt into your urine, so you hold
onto more water to dilute the concentration of sodium. This increased
volume increases your blood pressure, causing more kidney damage,
and this vicious cycle continues and gets progressivly worse.
For people who need to restrict their intake of salt, you might
also try substituting potassium chloride (available in most groceries)
for sodium chloride. While it doesn't taste as good as regular salt
to most people, some studies indicate that potassium may actually
lower your blood pressure. Chloride is also used as Calcium chloride.
Calcium chloride in water dissociates to provide calcium (Ca++)
and chloride (Cl-) ions. Both are normal constituents of the body
fluids and are dependent on various physiological mechanisms for
maintenance of balance between intake and output.
Calcium Chloride, USP is indicated:
For the treatment of low blood calcium, for conditions that require
a prompt increase in blood plasma calcium levels.
For the treatment of magnesium intoxification, due to overdosage
of magnesium sulfate. To combat the deleterious effects of too much
potassium in the body. as measured by electrocardiographic (ECG),
pending correction of the increased potassium level in the extracellular
fluid. Calcium Chloride Injection, USP also may be used in cardiac
resuscitation when weak or inadequate contractions return following
defibrillation or when epinephrine injection has failed to strengthen
myocardial (heart) contractions.
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