A nurse is assessing a client who has a serum sodium level of 120 mEq/L. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
Decreased bowel sounds
Increased central venous pressure
Confusion
Hyperreflexia
The Correct Answer is C
A serum sodium level of 120 mEq/L indicates hyponatremia, which is a condition where there is an excess of water relative to sodium in the body fluids. Hyponatremia can cause various neurological symptoms such as confusion, lethargy, seizures, coma, and death.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
The client has hypokalemia, which is a low level of potassium in the blood. Hypokalemia can cause cardiac arrhythmias, which can be life-threatening. The nurse should initiate cardiac monitoring first to assess the client's heart rhythm and rate, and intervene if any abnormalities are detected. Administering an IV potassium drip is an appropriate intervention for hypokalemia, but it is not the first priority. Listening to the client's bowel sounds and checking the client's hand grasps are also relevant assessments for hypokalemia, as it can cause decreased bowel motility and muscle weakness, but they are not as urgent as cardiac monitoring.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Referred pain is pain that is felt in a location different from its source due to shared nerve pathways or central nervous system processing. A client who has pancreatitis may experience pain in the left shoulder due to irritation of the diaphragm by pancreatic enzymes or inflammation. This pain is referred from the abdominal cavity to the shoulder through the phrenic nerve.
A client who has peritonitis reports generalized abdominal pain that corresponds to the site of inflammation and infection in the peritoneum. A client who has angina reports substernal chest pain that reflects the ischemia and hypoxia of the myocardium. A client who is postoperative reports incisional pain that is caused by tissue damage and inflammation at the surgical site.
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