Fundamentals Chapter 40: Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance

A nursing student is teaching a healthy adult client about adequate hydration. Which statement by the client indicates understanding of adequate hydration?

"I should drink 2,500 mL/day of fluid."

A client admitted to the facility is diagnosed with metabolic alkalosis based on arterial blood gas values. When obtaining the client's history, which statement would the nurse interpret as a possible underlying cause?

"I've been taking antacids almost every 2 hours over the past several days."

A physician has asked the nurse to use microdrip tubing to administer a prescribed dosage of IV solution to a client. What is the standard drop factor of microdrip tubing?

60 drops/mL

A health care provider orders a bolus infusion of 250 mL of normal saline to run over 1 hour. The set delivers 20 gtt/mL. What is the flow rate in gtt/min?

83 gtt/min

The nurse is assuming care for a client who is receiving an infusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs). The PRBCs were hung 4 hours ago, and 100 mL is left to infuse. Which action is most appropriate?

Discontinue the infusion and record the volume left in the blood bag.

A nurse is obtaining an arterial blood specimen from a client to assess acid-base status. Which value is expected for a client with normal status?

HCO3: 25 mEq/L (25 mmol/L)

A client is admitted to the unit with a diagnosis of intractable vomiting for 3 days. What acid-base imbalance related to the loss of stomach acid does the nurse observe on the arterial blood gas (ABG)?

Metabolic alkalosis

When caring for a client who is on intravenous therapy, the nurse observes that the client has developed redness, warmth, and discomfort along the vein. Which intervention should the nurse perform for this complication?

Restart infusion in another vein and apply a warm compress

The nurse is preparing a packed red blood cell transfusion for a client. The nurse checks the client's blood type in the electronic medical record (EMR) and notes that it is blood type B. What does this mean?

The client has anti-A antibodies.

An infant is brought to the emergency room with dehydration due to vomiting. After several failed attempts to start an IV, the nurse observes a scalp vein. When accessing the scalp vein, the nurse should use:

a winged infusion needle.

Which client is at a greater risk for fluid volume deficit related to the loss of total body fluid and extracellular fluid?

an infant age 4 months

The nurse is caring for a client who had a parathyroidectomy. Upon evaluation of the client's laboratory studies, the nurse would expect to see imbalances in which electrolytes related to the removal of the parathyroid gland?

calcium and phosphorus

A client's most recent blood work indicates a K+ level of 7.2 mEq/L (7.2 mmol/L), a finding that constitutes hyperkalemia. For what signs and symptoms should the nurse vigilantly monitor?

cardiac irregularities

A client who is NPO prior to surgery reports feeling thirsty. What is the physiologic process that drives the thirst factor?

decreased blood volume and intracellular dehydration

Edema happens when there is which fluid volume imbalance?

extracellular fluid volume excess

The nurse is caring for a client who has had partial removal of the parathyroid gland. The client reports numbness and tingling of the hands and fingers as well as showing signs of tetany. Which imbalance does the nurse suspect?

hypocalcemia

A client age 80 years, who takes diuretics for management of hypertension, informs the nurse that she takes laxatives daily to promote bowel movements. The nurse assesses the client for possible symptoms of:

hypokalemia.

A nurse is preparing an education plan for a client with heart failure who is experiencing edema. As part of the plan, the nurse wants to describe the underlying mechanism for why the edema develops. Which mechanism will nurse likely address?

increased hydrostatic pressure

Which solution is a crystalloid solution that has the same osmotic pressure as that found within the cells of the body and is used to expand the intravascular volume?

isotonic

What does the nurse predict will be prescribed to replace the clotting factors lost with the infusion of large amounts of packed red blood cells?

plasma

A client who recently had surgery is bleeding. What blood product does the nurse anticipate administering for this client?

platelets

The nurse writes a nursing diagnosis of "Fluid Volume: Excess." for a client. What risk factor would the nurse assess in this client?

renal failure

A decrease in arterial blood pressure will result in the release of

renin