ATI RN
Fluid and Electrolytes ATI Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is taking care of a 65-year-old female patient in a medical-surgical unit who is in renal failure; during the assessment the patient complains of tingling in her lips and fingers. When the nurse takes her blood pressure, she has a spasm in her wrist and hand. The nurse suspects:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tetany is the most characteristic manifestation of hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. Sensations of tingling may occur in the tips of the fingers, around the mouth, and less commonly in the feet. Taking a normal blood pressure could illicit a carpal spasm if it creates slight ischemia of the ulnar nerve.
Question 2 of 5
A patient's lab results show a slight decrease in potassium. The physician has declined to treat with drug therapy but has suggested increasing the potassium through diet. Which of the following would be a good source of potassium?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Bananas are high in potassium. Apples, carrots, and asparagus are not high in potassium.
Question 3 of 5
A female patient is discharged from the hospital after having an episode of heart failure. She's prescribed daily oral doses of digoxin (Lanoxin) and furosemide (Lasix). Two days later, she tells her community health nurse that she feels weak and her heart "flutters" frequently. What action should the nurse take?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Furosemide is a potassium-wasting diuretic. A low potassium level may cause weakness and palpitations. Telling the patient to rest more often won't help the patient if she's hypokalemic. Digoxin isn't causing the patient's symptoms, so she doesn't need to stop taking it. The patient should probably avoid caffeine, but this wouldn't resolve potassium depletion.
Question 4 of 5
A 73-year-old man who slipped on a small carpet in his home and fell on his hip is alert and oriented; PERRLA (pupils equally round and reactive to light and accommodation) is intact, and he has come by ambulance to the emergency department (ED). Heart rate elevated, he is anxious and thirsty. A Foley catheter is in place and 40mL of urine is present. The nurse's most likely explanation for the urine output is:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Renin is released by the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidneys in response to decreased renal perfusion. Angiotensin-converting enzyme converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II, with its vasoconstrictor properties, increases arterial perfusion pressure and stimulates thirst. As the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, aldosterone is released in response to an increased release of renin, which decreases urine production. Based on the nursing assessment and mechanism of injury, this is the most likely cause of the lower urine output.
Question 5 of 5
The patient asks the nurse if he will die if air bubbles get into the IV tubing. What is the nurse's best response?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An air emboli is more often associated with central vein access. Usually only relatively large volumes of air administered rapidly are dangerous. It is more often a concern when air enters a central venous access line.
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