A nurse is caring for a client who has hypokalemia. Which of the following findings should the nurse associate with hypokalemia?

A. Report new-onset muscle weakness: Hypokalemia can cause muscle weakness, cramps, and fatigue, which are important symptoms that need to be monitored. Reporting these symptoms promptly is crucial because severe hypokalemia can lead to life-threatening complications, such as respiratory failure or cardiac arrhythmias.

B. Increase consumption of apples and broccoli: While fruits and vegetables like apples and broccoli are healthy, they are not particularly high in potassium. The client should be encouraged to consume potassium-rich foods such as bananas, oranges, potatoes, and spinach to help correct hypokalemia.

C. Avoid salt substitutes: Some salt substitutes contain potassium chloride, which can actually help increase potassium levels. However, this option might be recommended in certain conditions where potassium levels need to be carefully controlled, such as in renal failure, not in hypokalemia management.

D. Report falls, due to high risk of osteoporosis: Hypokalemia does not directly increase the risk of osteoporosis. Falls may occur due to muscle weakness, but this is not specifically related to osteoporosis. Therefore, reporting falls is not the primary concern in hypokalemia.

A. Respiratory alkalosis: Respiratory alkalosis is generally associated with hyperventilation and is not directly caused by tension pneumothorax. In tension pneumothorax, the primary issues are related to pressure changes within the thoracic cavity, not respiratory alkalosis.

B. Increased venous return: In tension pneumothorax, venous return is actually decreased due to the increased intrathoracic pressure compressing the great vessels, which impedes blood flow back to the heart.

C. Decreased cardiac output: Tension pneumothorax causes a significant increase in intrathoracic pressure, leading to compression of the heart and great vessels, which results in decreased venous return and ultimately decreased cardiac output. This is a critical and life-threatening consequence of tension pneumothorax.

D. Dilated ventricles: Dilated ventricles are more commonly seen in chronic heart conditions such as heart failure, rather than in acute tension pneumothorax. Tension pneumothorax typically results in reduced ventricular filling rather than dilation.