A patient recovering from surgery has an indwelling urinary catheter. For which 24-hour urine output volumes should the nurse notify the patient's healthcare provider?

The correct answer is choice A: Encourage the patient to breathe in and out slowly into a paper bag.

Choice A rationale:The patient’s arterial blood gas (ABG) results indicate respiratory alkalosis, as evidenced by the elevated pH (7.48) and decreased PaCO2 (25 mm Hg). Respiratory alkalosis often results from hyperventilation, which can occur due to anxiety. Breathing into a paper bag helps to increase CO2 levels in the blood, thereby correcting the alkalosis.

Choice B rationale:Administering oxygen is not appropriate in this scenario because the patient’s PaO2 is already elevated (110 mm Hg), indicating that oxygenation is not the issue. Providing additional oxygen would not address the underlying problem of hyperventilation and respiratory alkalosis.

Choice C rationale:Intravenous sodium bicarbonate is used to treat metabolic acidosis, not respiratory alkalosis. In this case, the patient’s HCO3 is within the normal range (24 mEq/L), indicating that there is no metabolic acidosis present.

Choice D rationale:Starting an intravenous fluid bolus with isotonic fluids is not indicated for correcting respiratory alkalosis. This intervention is more appropriate for patients experiencing hypovolemia or dehydration, which is not suggested by the patient’s ABG results.

The correct answer is choiceC. Monitor the injection site for redness,D. Use an infusion controller for the IV, andE. Monitor fluid intake and output.

Choice A rationale:

Adding the ordered dose to the IV hanging is incorrect because potassium chloride should never be added to an already hanging IV solution due to the risk of uneven distribution and potential overdose.

Choice B rationale:

Administering the dose IV push over 3 minutes is incorrect because potassium chloride should never be given by direct IV injection.It must always be diluted and administered slowly to prevent cardiac complications.

Choice C rationale:

Monitoring the injection site for redness is correct because potassium chloride can cause irritation and phlebitis at the injection site.

Choice D rationale:

Using an infusion controller for the IV is correct because it ensures the potassium chloride is administered at a controlled rate, reducing the risk of rapid infusion and potential cardiac issues.

Choice E rationale:

Monitoring fluid intake and output is correct because it helps assess the patient’s overall fluid balance and detect any signs of fluid overload or deficit, which is crucial when administering potassium.