ATI RN
ATI Fluid Electrolyte and Acid-Base Regulation Questions
Question 1 of 5
You are performing an admission assessment on an older adult patient newly admitted for end-stage liver disease. What principle should guide your assessment of the patients skin turgor?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Inelastic skin turgor is a normal part of aging. As people age, their skin loses elasticity and becomes less turgid, which can affect skin turgor assessment. Skin turgor assessment is an important indicator of hydration status, and in older adults, it is normal for the skin to be less elastic. This is due to changes in collagen and elastin fibers in the skin with aging. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because overhydration is not common among healthy older adults, dehydration causes the skin to appear tented rather than spongy, and skin turgor can still be assessed in patients over 70, although it may be less reliable due to natural changes in skin elasticity with aging.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse in the neurologic ICU has orders to infuse a hypertonic solution into a patient with increased intracranial pressure. This solution will increase the number of dissolved particles in the patients blood, creating pressure for fluids in the tissues to shift into the capillaries and increase the blood volume. This process is best described as which of the following?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Osmosis and osmolality. When a hypertonic solution is infused, it increases the number of dissolved particles in the blood, creating an osmotic pressure gradient. This causes fluids in the tissues to shift into the capillaries, increasing blood volume. Osmosis is the movement of solvent (water) across a semi-permeable membrane to equalize solute concentrations. Osmolality refers to the concentration of solutes in a solution. Hydrostatic pressure (choice A) is the force exerted by a fluid against a wall when it is under pressure, not related to the movement of solutes. Diffusion (choice C) is the movement of solute molecules from an area of high concentration to low concentration, not involving a semi-permeable membrane. Active transport (choice D) requires energy to move molecules across a membrane against their concentration gradient, not the mechanism described in the scenario.
Question 3 of 5
You are the surgical nurse caring for a 65-year-old female patient who is postoperative day 1 following a thyroidectomy. During your shift assessment, the patient complains of tingling in her lips and fingers. She tells you that she has an intermittent spasm in her wrist and hand and she exhibits increased muscle tone. What electrolyte imbalance should you first suspect?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Hypocalcemia. Following a thyroidectomy, there is a risk of damaging the parathyroid glands, leading to hypocalcemia. Symptoms such as tingling in lips and fingers, muscle spasms, and increased muscle tone are classic signs of hypocalcemia. The initial concern should be hypocalcemia due to its potential to cause serious complications such as tetany and laryngospasm. Options A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not align with the symptoms described. Hypophosphatemia may present with weakness and respiratory failure, hypermagnesemia with hypotension and respiratory depression, and hyperkalemia with muscle weakness and cardiac arrhythmias.
Question 4 of 5
. A nurse is planning care for a nephrology patient with a new nursing graduate. The nurse states, A patient in renal failure partially loses the ability to regulate changes in pH. What is the cause of this partial inability?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Rationale: C is correct because in renal failure, the kidneys lose the ability to regenerate and reabsorb bicarbonate, which is essential for maintaining a stable pH level in the body. B is incorrect because the kidneys primarily regulate pH by controlling bicarbonate levels, not through electrolyte changes. A is incorrect because the kidneys do not regulate carbonic acid in the same way. D is incorrect as it does not accurately describe the process of pH regulation in the kidneys.
Question 5 of 5
You are caring for a 65-year-old male patient admitted to your medical unit 72 hours ago with pyloric stenosis. A nasogastric tube placed upon admission has been on low intermittent suction ever since. Upon review of the mornings blood work, you notice that the patients potassium is below reference range. You should recognize that the patient may be at risk for what imbalance?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Metabolic alkalosis. Pyloric stenosis can lead to vomiting, causing loss of gastric acid and chloride ions, leading to metabolic alkalosis. Low potassium levels are common in metabolic alkalosis due to potassium shifting into cells to compensate for the alkalosis. Hypercalcemia (choice A) is not associated with pyloric stenosis. Metabolic acidosis (choice B) typically presents with low pH and bicarbonate levels. Respiratory acidosis (choice D) is caused by impaired gas exchange in the lungs, not related to pyloric stenosis.