ATI RN
Fluid and Electrolytes ATI Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse preparing a site for the insertion of an IV catheter should treat excess hair at the site by:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 2 of 5
When selecting a site on the hand or arm for insertion of an IV catheter, the nurse should:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When selecting a site for insertion of an IV catheter, the nurse should choose a distal site, not a proximal site. Selection of a distal site leaves the upper veins available for subsequent cannulations. Instruct the patient to hold his arm in a dependent position to increase blood flow. Never leave a tourniquet in place longer than 2 minutes.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is admitting a patient with a suspected fluid imbalance. The most sensitive indicator of body fluid balance is:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Daily weights show trends and can assist medical management by indicating if interventions and medications are effective. Laboratory data are objective data that indicate whether electrolyte levels are within normal limits for the patient with fluid balance problems. However, if a patient is dehydrated, some laboratory data can show false elevations. Intake and output is extremely important, but matching the two is difficult because fluid is also lost through breathing, perspiration, stool, and surgical tubes. Vital signs may or may not be helpful because heart rate and blood pressure can be elevated by either depletion or excess of fluids in some situations.
Question 4 of 5
A patient is taking spironolactone (Aldactone) to control her hypertension. Her serum potassium level is 6 mEq/L. For this patient, the nurse's priority would be to assess her:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is caring for a postthyroidectomy patient at risk for hypocalcemia. What action should the nurse take when assessing for hypocalcemia?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Muscle twitching and numbness or tingling of the lips, fingers, and toes are signs of hyperirritability of the nervous system due to hypocalcemia. The other options describe complications the nurse should also be observing for; however, tetany and neurologic alterations are primary indications of hypocalcemia.