College Final Questions and Answers
Ch. 13: What are exchanged for potassium ions during alkalosis or acidosis? - answer-
hydrogen ions (ie: metabolic acidosis results in hyperkalemia as H ions are shifted into
the ell to raise the pH and potassium leaves the cell and enters the bloodstream)
Ch 13: What is necessary for neuromuscular and cardiovascular function? - answer-
potassium
Ch 13: What helps to regulate muscle contraction and relaxation? - answer- calcium
Ch 13: What affects threshold potential? - answer- calcium
Ch 13: What contributes to muscle weakness and come? - answer- hypercalcemia
Ch 13: What contributes to muscle irritability and tetany? - answer- hypocalcemia
Ch 13: What helps with carb and protein metabolism, and affects neuromuscular
function and produces vasodilation? - answer- magnesium
Ch 13: What lowers the resting membrane potential and makes cells less irritable which
could result in an ileus? - answer- hypokalemia
Ch 13: What may cause diarrhea, irritability, muscle weakness, and EKG changes (such
as tall tented T waves, absent P waves, prolonged PR interval and QRS duration)? -
answer- hyperkalemia
Ch 13: What may cause muscle weakness, EKG changes (inverted T waves and ST
depression), a weak irregular pulse, paralytic ileus, tachydysrhythmias (premature
ventricular contractions (PVCs) and ventricular tachycardia (VT)), constipation, and U
waves? - answer- hypokalemia
Ch 13: What do pts with hypernatremia present with? - answer- thirst
- dry muscous membranes
- lethargy
- restlessness
- tachycardia
- HTN
Ch 13: What are S/S of hypocalcemia? - answer- tetany (a classic sign)
- muscle twitching
- bronchospasms
,- laryngeal spasms
- seizures
- hyperirritability
Ch 13: What is a classic sign of low mag (hypomagnesemia)? - answer- tetany
Ch 13: What are the clinical manifestations of hyponatremia? - answer- constant
headaches
- seizures
- lethargy
- tachycardia
- decreased BP
- thready pulse
- hyperactive bowel sounds
- abdominal cramps
Ch 13: What slows the depolarization of the cell membrane? - answer- hyponatremia
Ch 13: What shifts fluid from the extracellular to the intracellular compartment? -
answer- hyponatremia
Ch 13: What is lossed from the GI (vomiting, diarrhea, suctioning), renal (diuretics,
adrenal insufficiency, kidney disease), and integumentary systems (ascites, burns,
peripheral edema)? - answer- sodium
Ch 13: What happens in hyponatremia? - answer- there is a reduction in intravascular
volume so BP decreases
Ch 13: What should you do in the setting of hyponatremia with fluid overload? - answer-
restrict fluids
Ch 13: What do you monitor in the setting of hyponatremia? - answer- LOC
- vital signs
- I's & O's
- weight
Ch 13: What can sever hyponatremia result in? - answer- seizures
- coma
- respiratory arrest
Ch 13: What increases serum osmolality and pulls water out of the cells? - answer-
hypernatremia
Ch 13: What puts a pt at risk for hypernatremia? - answer- excessive sodium intake
- excessive sodium retention
- loss in fluid from being NPO
, - from an illness (ie: hyperglycemia, watery diarrhea, DI, or diarrhea)
Ch 13: Who is at a greater risk for hypernatremia? - answer- the elderly due to an
impaired thirst mechanism
Ch 13: What do you prepare in the setting of hypernatremia? - answerdepending on the
serum osmolarity infuse:
- hypotonic IV fluids (.45%)
- isotonic IV fluids (0.9%)
Ch 13: What is a decrease in serum sodium level (hyponatremia) followed by? -
answer- a decrease in serum osmolality (<270 mOsm/L)
Ch 13: What is an increase in serum sodium level (hypernatremia) followed by? -
answer- an increase in serum osmolality (>300 mOsm/L)
Ch 13: What does hypokalemia result from? - answer- loss of potassium from the
kidneys
- burns
- shifted into the cell
Ch 13: What is cardiac arrest a complication of? - answer- potassium imbalances
Ch 13: What do you check prior to administering potassium? - answer- renal function
Ch 13: What foods would you educate a pt on that are high in potassium? - answer-
avocados
- bananas
- cantaloupe
- broccoli
- dried fruit
Ch 13: What do you NEVER administer as an IV push? - answer- potassium
Ch 13: What do you reduce hyperkalemia with? - answer- insulin
- sodium bicarb
- kayexalate
- diuretics
Ch 13: What are two classic signs of hypocalcemia? - answer- Chostek's sign ("C" for
cheek)
- Trousseau's sign (happens when inflating a BP cuff)
Ch 13: What are three main causes of hypocalcemia? - answer1 - end-stage renal
disease
2 - malabsorption