Magnesium deficiency, or hypomagnesemia, is a condition in which serum levels of magnesium drop below 1.7 milligrams per decaliter of fluid, or mg/dL, according to the National Institutes of Health. According to the Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics,...
The American Heart Association 2006 statistical data indicates 8.5 million Americans suffered a heart attack in that year. Annually, heart disease causes one-third of all deaths in the United States, according to the 2006 data from the AHA....
A clinically high potassium level in the heart is called hyperkalemia. Potassium is one of the most crucial positively-charged ions for the cells of the heart. The resting membrane potential of cardiac cells is determined in part by the flow of...
Most conditions of heart block in children are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. Heart blocks involve varying degrees of dissonance within the electrical system of the heart. In children, many of the causes are congenital and others are...
Side effect of high K+ (potassium) can be serious. Potassium imbalance occurs from kidney disease, excessive use of potassium supplements, adrenal gland disorders, obstruction of urine flow from structural problems or urinary calculi, lupus,...
Potassium, the principal ion inside cells, maintains acid-base balance. Other functions include nerve impulse transmission and contraction of muscles, including cardiac, or heart muscles. Your blood potassium normally ranges from 3.6 to 5.0...
Potassium exists as a charged mineral, called an electrolyte, in the body. It is important for electrical conduction in cells, including nerve, muscle, heart and other types of cells. Changes in the level of potassium can effect electrical...
An electrocardiogram, also referred to as an ECG or EKG, is a recording of the electrical current in the heart. An electrocardiograph produces a strip graph of the recorded electrical activity and provides results for the doctor to determine...
Electrical activity in nerve and muscle cells occurs because of the flow of ions--electrically-charged particles--between the inside and outside of the cell membrane. Electricity is vital to the functioning of the brain, nerves and muscles,...
Electrocardiogram, often shortened to ECG or EKG, tests the electrical conduction system of the heart. The heart beats in response to electrical impulses that spread through the heart. An EKG tracing records electrical impulses on a piece of paper...
Calcium is a beneficial and essential mineral, but too much calcium can have negative effects on your heart. High calcium, or hypercalcemia, is a condition marked by excessive levels of calcium inside your bloodstream. Conditions ranging from...
An essential positively charged ion, potassium is intimately connected with the electrical conduction system of the heart, according to "Rapid Interpretation of EKG's." Imbalances in potassium, an electrolyte, can produce dangerous heart...
Potassium is an essential dietary mineral and electrolyte. As a mineral, potassium is required for proper metabolism of carbohydrates. As an electrolyte, or ion, potassium is able to conduct electricity, maintaining a current across the membrane...
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (which means it is used to help nerves throughout the brain and the body communicate). One of the effects dopamine has in the blood is to cause the heart to beat faster and harder. Thus dopamine can be administered...