Lytes
Formal Definition
Electrolytes: a panel of serum electrolyte measurements including sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl−), and bicarbonate (HCO3−), typically reported as part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel.
How It's Used on the Ward
"Check the lytes" or "lytes are a mess" — shorthand for the electrolyte portion of a metabolic panel.
Example
""Post-op day 2 after bowel resection: lytes show K 2.9 and Mag 1.4 — replace both aggressively before mobilizing. Low Mg makes potassium impossible to hold onto.""
Clinical Context
Potassium and magnesium must be corrected together — hypomagnesemia causes refractory hypokalemia. Sodium disorders require careful correction speed: too fast for hyponatremia risks osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS); too fast for hypernatremia risks cerebral edema. "Lytes" is casual shorthand; the precise panel ordered depends on context (BMP vs. CMP vs. VBG).