A patient is diagnosed with hypokalemia. After reviewing the patient's current medications, which drug should the nurse consider that might have contributed to the patient's health problem?

Narcotic.

Thiazide diuretic.

Corticosteroid.

Muscle relaxer.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A rationale:

Narcotics are not known to directly cause hypokalemia. Their main effects are related to pain relief and central nervous system depression.

Choice B rationale:

Thiazide diuretics can cause potassium loss in the urine, leading to hypokalemia. These diuretics work by inhibiting sodium reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule, which can lead to potassium excretion as well.

Choice C rationale:

Corticosteroids can cause sodium and water retention but are not typically associated with significant potassium abnormalities.

Choice D rationale:

Muscle relaxers are not known to cause hypokalemia. They primarily act on the neuromuscular junction and do not directly impact potassium levels.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice B rationale:

The patient's tachycardia, pale, cool skin, and decreased urine output are signs of the body's natural compensatory mechanisms in response to fluid volume deficit. When the body

experiences a decrease in fluid volume, it tries to compensate by increasing heart rate (tachycardia) to maintain blood flow to vital organs and constricting blood vessels to preserve fluid and maintain blood pressure. Pale, cool skin is a result of vasoconstriction, and decreased urine output is a way the body conserves water during dehydration.

Choice A rationale:

Effects of rapidly infused intravenous fluids are not the cause of the patient's current findings. In fact, the nurse's notes indicate that the IV fluid therapy (0.9% sodium chloride) was initiated at 125 mL/hr, which is a relatively standard and cautious rate. Rapidly infused fluids could potentially cause fluid overload, but that is not the situation here.

Choice C rationale:

Pharmacological effects of a diuretic are not relevant to this patient's presentation. There is no mention of diuretic use in the nurse's notes, and the symptoms presented are more consistent with fluid volume deficit and dehydration rather than diuretic use.

Choice D rationale:

Cardiac failure is not the correct answer, as there is no indication of heart failure in the patient's presentation or nurse's notes. The symptoms and findings described are more indicative of fluid volume deficit, which is not synonymous with cardiac failure.

A. Administering a potassium-sparing diuretic. B. Administering sodium polystyrene sulfonate. C. Initiating an IV potassium infusion. D. Encouraging the client to eat bananas.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

The correct answer is choice B) Administering sodium polystyrene sulfonate.

Choice A rationale:

Administering a potassium-sparing diuretic is not appropriate for a client with hyperkalemia (high potassium levels). Potassium-sparing diuretics would further increase potassium levels, worsening the condition.

Choice B rationale:

Sodium polystyrene sulfonate is used to treat hyperkalemia. It works by exchanging sodium ions for potassium ions in the intestines, which helps to lower serum potassium levels by excreting it through the stool.

Choice C rationale:

Initiating an IV potassium infusion would be contraindicated in this situation as it would increase the already elevated potassium levels, potentially leading to dangerous cardiac complications.

Choice D rationale:

Encouraging the client to eat bananas is not advisable because bananas are high in potassium, which would exacerbate hyperkalemia.

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A patient is diagnosed with hypokalemia. After reviewing the patient's current medications, which drug should the nurse consider that might have contributed to the patient's health problem?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient experiencing multisystem fluid volume deficit has tachycardia, pale, cool skin, and decreased urine output. The nurse realizes these findings are most likely a direct result of which process?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A nurse is reviewing a client's laboratory values and discovers the client has a serum potassium of 6.2 mEq/L. Which of the following interventions should the nurse anticipate?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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