A client is experiencing metabolic acidosis.
The nurse anticipates that the client’s respiratory rate will be:

Furosemide is a diuretic that lowers blood pressure by increasing urine output and reducing fluid volume in the body.

One of the possible adverse effects of furosemide is hypotension, which is low blood pressure.

This can cause symptoms such as dizziness, faintness, confusion, or weakness.

The nurse should monitor the client’s blood pressure and report any signs of hypotension to the doctor.

Choice A is wrong because hypertension, which is high blood pressure, is not a common side effect of furosemide.

In fact, furosemide is used to treat hypertension in some cases.

Choice B is wrong because hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, is not a common side effect of furosemide.

Furosemide does not affect blood sugar levels directly.

However, it may interact with some medications that lower blood sugar, such as insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs.

The nurse should check the client’s medication history and monitor their blood sugar levels if they are taking any of these drugs.

Choice C is wrong because hyperkalemia, which is high potassium levels in the blood, is not a common side effect of furosemide.

Furosemide belongs to a class of diuretics called loop diuretics, which lower potassium levels by increasing its excretion in the urine.

One of the possible adverse effects of furosemide is hypokalemia, which is low potassium levels in the blood.

This can cause symptoms such as muscle cramps, weakness, irregular heartbeat, or numbness.

The nurse should monitor the client’s potassium levels and advise them to eat foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, or potatoes.

Normal ranges for blood pressure are 90/60 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg.

Normal ranges for blood sugar are 4.0 mmol/L to 7.8 mmol/L (72 mg/dL to 140 mg/dL).

Normal ranges for potassium are 3.5 mmol/L to 5.0 mmol/L (3.5 mEq/L to 5.0 mEq/L).

Metabolic acidosis is a condition in which there is excess acid in the body fluids.

It causes rapid breathing, confusion, tiredness, headache, and increased heart rate.

Rapid breathing is a compensatory mechanism that helps to lower the carbon dioxide levels and increase the pH of the blood.

Choice B is wrong because decreased respiratory rate would worsen the acidosis by retaining more carbon dioxide and lowering the pH of the blood.

Choice C is wrong because normal respiratory rate would not be adequate to compensate for the metabolic acidosis and would result in acidemia (low blood pH).

Choice D is wrong because irregular respiratory rate is not a typical response to metabolic acidosis and could indicate other problems such as brain injury or drug overdose.