Effective serum osmolality
NCLEX-RN glossary · Physiological Adaptation
Definition
The quantitative concentration of active sodium and glucose solutes in the blood, excluding urea.
Effective serum osmolality in plain English
RNs calculate this concentration to assess the risk of fluid shifts and cerebral edema in metabolically unstable clients. A common mistake is confusing effective osmolality with total osmolality by erroneously including urea in the calculation.
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