For the following disorders, select the serum concentrations (mEq/L) of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) with which it is most likely to be associated in a dehydrated patient.A 1-year-old girl has had since about 3 months of age repeated episodes of hypoglycemic seizures and bouts of lactacidosis. She has a protuberant abdomen due to her massive hepatomegaly, a doll-like facies, thin extremities, and is short for her age. Upon drawing her blood, you are struck by the "milky" appearance.
High-Yield Explanation
Patients with a deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase (von Gierke disease) are, as a rule, hyperlipidemic. Increased triglyceride concentration in the serum decreases the volume of the aqueous compartment. Because electrolytes are present only in the aqueous compartment of the serum but are expressed in milliequivalents per liter of serum as a whole, the concentrations of sodium and potassium can be factitiously low in these patients.