Urinary electrolyte monitoring in the critically ill: revisiting renal physiology

The kidney, being one of the most fascinating and commonly studied organs within human physiology, has a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of our organism from several different perspectives, from clearing of cellular catabolism products, to body fluids and electrolyte content regulation, hemodynamic stability and acid-base equilibrium [1]. Consequently, despite the existence of many strategies to support its function, the renal system is often the focus of our attention during the clinical management of the critically ill, because its function is frequently altered in this category of patients