A female client with anorexia nervosa and a cardiac condition was prescribed an antidepressant before she regained weight during her treatment course. The nurse should be aware of the possibility of which condition in this client?
Low serum sodium level
Low serum sodium level
Low serum potassium Ievel
High serum potassium level
The Correct Answer is C
C This is a common and potentially life-threatening complication in individuals with anorexia nervosa who are undergoing treatment. It can lead to cardiac arrhythmias.
A. Anorexia nervosa can lead to electrolyte imbalances, including hyponatremia (low serum sodium level), due to inadequate intake of sodium and fluid restriction. Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can also contribute to hyponatremia by causing the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), which leads to water retention and dilutional hyponatremia. However, it is not as life-threatening as hypokalemia.
B. Anorexia nervosa can lead to electrolyte imbalances, including hyponatremia (low serum sodium level), due to inadequate intake of sodium and fluid restriction. However, it is not as life-threatening as hypokalemia.
D. Anorexia nervosa typically does not lead to hyperkalemia (high serum potassium level), as potassium is usually lost through purging behaviors or inadequate intake. Antidepressants also do not commonly cause hyperkalemia as a side effect.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. ECT is often considered for severe major depression that has not responded to other treatments, especially when there is a risk of suicide. ECT can provide rapid relief of symptoms, which is crucial in cases where immediate intervention is needed to prevent harm to the patient.
B. While ECT is generally safe for individuals with medical conditions, including heart disease, special precautions might be needed. However, the presence of heart disease alone would not necessarily preclude ECT if the benefits outweigh the risks and if the client's cardiac status is stable.
C. Dysthymic disorder, characterized by persistent depressive symptoms that are less severe than major depression, typically does not warrant ECT. ECT is usually reserved for more severe forms of depression that significantly impair daily functioning or pose a risk to the patient's safety.
D. ECT may be contraindicated or require careful consideration in clients with brain metastasis due to potential risks related to increased intracranial pressure or neurological complications. Alternative treatments may be preferred in such cases.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
D. Depersonalization disorder is a dissociative disorder where individuals feel detached from themselves, as if they are observing their own thoughts, feelings, sensations, or actions from outside their body. This can lead to a sense of unreality or detachment from the environment or one's own experiences. It is often triggered by stressful events or trauma, and it can occur in individuals experiencing grief or loss, such as the surviving husband in this scenario.
A. Dissociative fugue involves sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one's customary place of activities, accompanied by an inability to recall one's past. It is usually associated with amnesia for personal information and is not characterized by depersonalization symptoms.
B. DID involves the presence of two or more distinct personality states or identities within an individual, which alternate and take control of behavior. Each identity may have its own unique way of perceiving and interacting with the environment, which differs from the symptoms described in the scenario.
C. Dissociative amnesia involves the inability to recall important personal information, usually related to stressful or traumatic events. While depersonalization symptoms can occur in dissociative amnesia, the hallmark feature is memory loss rather than the feeling of detachment from one's body.
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