Fluid & Electrolyte

A client is admitted with hypocalcemia. Which treatment would the nurse anticipate for this client? Select All That Apply 1. PO Calcium 2. Rapid IV Push Calcium 3. Vitamin D 4. Sevelamer hydrochloride 5. Phosphate supplements

1, 3, 4 (Since this client has hypocalcemia, PO Calcium replacement would be an appropriate treatment. Now, let's look at the others that are not as obvious. Vitamin D helps to improve calcium absorption, which will help increase the calcium levels. So, what is sevelamer hydrochloride and how will this help hypocalcemia? Well, it is a phosphate binder. And remember that we said if you bind the phosphorus, the phosphorus levels go down. And since phosphorus and calcium have inverse relationships, as the phosphorus levels go down, the calcium levels will go up!)

A nurse has performed teaching with a client diagnosed with Cushing's disease. Which statement by the client would best indicate understanding of the teaching? 1. "The increased level of ADH will cause my potassium level to be too high." 2. "I will be retaining sodium and water due to the increased amount of aldosterone." 3. "I will be losing lots of fluid due to the hormonal imbalance I have." 4. "I will feel jittery and nervous due to the elevated thyroxine levels."

2 (Cushing's is a disease that results in increased secretion of aldosterone. Having too much aldosterone causes the client to be at risk for fluid volume excess (FVE) due to the increased retention of both sodium and water)

A client is admitted with prolonged nausea and vomiting. The client's admission sodium level is 149 mEq/L (149 mmol/L). What action by the nurse would be most appropriate at this time? 1. Administer 3% NS at 150 mL/hr 2. Perform neurological assessment 3. Increase oral intake of sodium 4. Decrease fluid intake

2 (Did you recognize that the sodium level of 149 is too high? The normal sodium level is 135-145 mEq/L (135-145 mmol/L). Think about the testing strategy that we mentioned to you. Look for neuro changes when the sodium level is not within normal limits. The brain does not like it when the sodium level is messed up. So, performing a neurological assessment on this client would be important.)

A client is admitted following a severe burn. What changes related to fluid status would the nurse anticipate? Select All That Apply 1. Fluid volume excess 2. Hypovolemia 3. Third spacing 4. Increased urine output 5. Low CVP 6. Increased urine specific gravity

2, 3, 5, 6 (Causes of fluid volume deficit (hypovolemia) include loss of fluid from anywhere as well as third spacing of fluid that occurs with such things as burns. Burns can result in fluid loss from the burn area as well as the third spacing, which increases the risk for hypovolemia and shock. As the fluid volume decreases, the BP and CVP both decrease. Remember, less volume, less pressure. Also, when the fluid volume becomes depleted, the urine output will decrease in an effort to hold on to the fluid (compensate) or the kidneys are not being perfused. You will see the urine specific gravity increase because the small amount of urine being produced will be very concentrated)

The nurse is preparing to administer magnesium sulfate IV to an alcoholic client with hypomagnesemia. Prior to the initiation of IV magnesium, which assessment data would be important for the nurse to document? Select All That Apply 1. Liver function 2. Respiratory rate 3. Calcium levels 4. Deep Tendon Reflexes (DTRs) 5. Urinary output

2, 4, 5 (As you learned, magnesium acts like a sedative. Since we know that magnesium can cause respiratory depression, the nurse should always have a baseline respiratory assessment prior to initiating an infusion of magnesium. Muscle tone and DTRs can also become depressed, so a baseline assessment of DTRs would be very important. How is magnesium excreted? That's right! Through the kidneys. The nurse should always assess kidney function and urinary output prior to and during IV magnesium administration because of the risk of magnesium toxicity if it is being retained.)

The nurse is preparing a teaching plan for a client newly diagnosed with fluid retention and heart failure. What should the nurse advise the client to avoid? Select All That Apply 1. Broiled, fresh fish 2. Effervescent soluble medications 3. Seasoning with lemon pepper 4. Chicken noodle soup 5. Deli-ham sandwiches

2, 4, 5 (Think about fluid volume excess and heart failure. Things such as effervescent soluble medications and canned/processed foods should be avoided because they all contain a lot of sodium which increases fluid retention. Therefore, the chicken noodle soup and the cold cut deli-ham sandwiches should be avoided.) (Fresh fish is a good, healthy selection that is low in sodium, which is what this client needs. Make sure to avoid smoked or cured fish/meats because these would have a higher sodium content. Salt, as a seasoning, should be avoided because this would increase the fluid retention problem. However, a good alternative to salt for seasoning foods is to use lemon, lemon juice, and pepper. These are lower in sodium than salt.)

A client was admitted with reports of prolonged diarrhea. The client's admission potassium level was 3.3 mEq/L (3.3 mmol/L) and is receiving an IV of D5 ½ NS with 20 mEq KCL at 125 mL/hr. The UAP reports an 8 hour urinary output of 200 mL. The previous 8 hour urinary output was 250 ml. What should be the nurse's priority action? 1. Encourage the client to increase PO fluid intake. 2. Administer a supplemental PO dose of potassium. 3. Stop the IV potassium infusion. 4. Administer polystyrene sulfonate PO

3 (potassium is excreted by the kidneys. If the kidneys are not working well, the serum potassium will go up! You always monitor the urinary output before and during IV potassium administration. Since the urine output has decreased below 30 mL/hr, we know that the urinary output is not adequate. Therefore, the client could start retaining too much potassium. The priority action would be to stop the infusion and then follow this action by notifying the healthcare provider)

A client is admitted to the ICU with diabetes insipidus following a head injury. Which finding would the nurse anticipate in this client? 1. Low serum hematocrit 2. High serum glucose 3. High urine protein 4. Low urine specific gravity

4 (Diabetes insipidus is a condition that results from decreased ADH production. Therefore, the client will be diuresing large volumes of water which leads to a fluid volume deficit. We worry about shock in these clients. Keep in mind that concentrated makes #s go up and dilute makes #s go down in reference to specific gravity, sodium, and hematocrit. Here, the urine is very dilute which means the urine specific gravity will be low)

A client with chronic liver disease has ascites and is being treated with an albumin infusion. What should the nurse anticipate and monitor in this client? 1. Fluid volume excess 2. Cellular edema 3. Severe hypotension 4. Decreasing CVP

1 (Albumin is a hypertonic solution. This type of solution will draw fluid from the cell into the vascular space. This builds up the volume in the vascular space. Therefore, the nurse must watch for fluid volume excess. Hypertonic solutions are used in clients who have 3rd spacing, severe edema, or ascites)

A client is admitted to the cardiac floor in heart failure. The lung sounds reveal crackles bilaterally, and the BP is 160/98. The client has been on diuretics at home and the potassium level is 3.3 mEq/L (3.3 mmol/L). Which diuretic would the nurse anticipate being prescribed for this client to minimize potassium loss? 1. Spironolactone 2. Furosemide 3. Bumetanide 4. Hydrochlorothiazide

1 (The client's potassium level is low. Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic which would cause the potassium to be retained.)