Comprehensive Pathophysiology Review: Fluid and
Electrolyte Disorders Questions and Answers
When considering water balance, which statement demonstrates the correct balance?
A.Isotonic fluids cause increased cellular swelling.
B. Hypertonic fluid causes increased cellular swelling.
C. Hypotonic fluid causes cellular swelling.
D. Hypernatremia causes cellular swelling. - ---correct answer ---C. Hypotonic fluid
causes cellular swelling.
Which statement is true regarding hyperchloremia?
A. Occurs with a deficit of sodium
B. Occurs with an excess of bicarbonate
C. Has specific symptoms such as thirst
D. Requires treatment of the underlying disorder - ---correct answer ---D. Requires
treatment of the underlying disorder
Which statement is true regarding hyponatremia?
A. Is commonly caused by inadequate sodium intake
B. Can occur with a decrease in total body water (TBW)
C. Never occurs with burns, vomiting, or diarrhea
D. Occurs when sodium drops below 135 mEq/L - ---correct answer ---Occurs
when sodium drops below 135 mEq/L
,Which statement is true regarding potassium balance?
A. Potassium is the major extracellular electrolyte.
B. During acidosis, potassium shifts into the cell.
C. Aldosterone is secreted when potassium is decreased.
D. Insulin causes the movement of potassium into the cell. - ---correct answer ---D.
Insulin causes the movement of potassium into the cell.
Which statement is true regarding hypokalemia?
A. Hypokalemia occurs when the serum level is below 45 mEq/L.
B. One cause of hypokalemia is diabetic ketoacidosis.
C. Dietary causes of hypokalemia are common.
D. Diuretics do not cause hypokalemia. - ---correct answer ---B. One cause of
hypokalemia is diabetic ketoacidosis.
Hypernatremia is defined as levels above
A. 145 mEq/L.
B. 5.0 mEq/L.
C. 105 mEq/L
D. 9.0 mg/dL. - ---correct answer ---A. 145 mEq/L.
Which statement is true regarding magnesium?
A.Hypomagnesemia occurs with a concentration greater than 2.5 mEq/L.
B. Magnesium is a major extracellular cation.
,C. Thirty percent is stored in the muscle and bone.
D. Symptoms of hypomagnesemia include weakness and depression. - ---correct
answer ---D. Symptoms of hypomagnesemia include weakness and depression.
Which statement describes acidemia?
A. State in which the pH of arterial blood is greater than 7.45
B. State in which the pH of arterial blood is less than 7.35
C. Systemic decrease in hydrogen ion concentration
D. Systemic excess of base - ---correct answer ---B. State in which the pH of
arterial blood is less than 7.35
Common causes of edema formation (increased filtration of fluid from capillaries and lymph into
surrounding tissues) include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
Decreased capillary hydrostatic pressure
Decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Increased capillary membrane permeability
Lymphatic obstruction
Sodium retention - ---correct answer ---Decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Increased capillary membrane permeability
Lymphatic obstruction
Sodium retention
Which are clinical manifestations of hypokalemia? (Select all that apply.)
Decreased insulin secretion
Impaired renal function
, Decreased neuromuscular excitability
Increased contractility of skeletal muscle - ---correct answer ---Decreased insulin
secretion
Impaired renal function
Decreased neuromuscular excitability
Which treatments are appropriate for hyperkalemia? (Select all that apply.)
Calcium gluconate
Treating the contributing cause
Glucagon
Buffered solutions - ---correct answer ---Calcium gluconate
Treating the contributing cause
Buffered solutions
Which term describes the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) subunit of one deoxyribose molecule,
one phosphate group, and one base?
Polypeptide
Double helix
Nucleotide
Codon - ---correct answer ---Nucleotide
Which statement is true regarding termination codons?
Eighty codons are possible.
Three codons signal the end of a gene.
Seventy codons specify amino acids.
Electrolyte Disorders Questions and Answers
When considering water balance, which statement demonstrates the correct balance?
A.Isotonic fluids cause increased cellular swelling.
B. Hypertonic fluid causes increased cellular swelling.
C. Hypotonic fluid causes cellular swelling.
D. Hypernatremia causes cellular swelling. - ---correct answer ---C. Hypotonic fluid
causes cellular swelling.
Which statement is true regarding hyperchloremia?
A. Occurs with a deficit of sodium
B. Occurs with an excess of bicarbonate
C. Has specific symptoms such as thirst
D. Requires treatment of the underlying disorder - ---correct answer ---D. Requires
treatment of the underlying disorder
Which statement is true regarding hyponatremia?
A. Is commonly caused by inadequate sodium intake
B. Can occur with a decrease in total body water (TBW)
C. Never occurs with burns, vomiting, or diarrhea
D. Occurs when sodium drops below 135 mEq/L - ---correct answer ---Occurs
when sodium drops below 135 mEq/L
,Which statement is true regarding potassium balance?
A. Potassium is the major extracellular electrolyte.
B. During acidosis, potassium shifts into the cell.
C. Aldosterone is secreted when potassium is decreased.
D. Insulin causes the movement of potassium into the cell. - ---correct answer ---D.
Insulin causes the movement of potassium into the cell.
Which statement is true regarding hypokalemia?
A. Hypokalemia occurs when the serum level is below 45 mEq/L.
B. One cause of hypokalemia is diabetic ketoacidosis.
C. Dietary causes of hypokalemia are common.
D. Diuretics do not cause hypokalemia. - ---correct answer ---B. One cause of
hypokalemia is diabetic ketoacidosis.
Hypernatremia is defined as levels above
A. 145 mEq/L.
B. 5.0 mEq/L.
C. 105 mEq/L
D. 9.0 mg/dL. - ---correct answer ---A. 145 mEq/L.
Which statement is true regarding magnesium?
A.Hypomagnesemia occurs with a concentration greater than 2.5 mEq/L.
B. Magnesium is a major extracellular cation.
,C. Thirty percent is stored in the muscle and bone.
D. Symptoms of hypomagnesemia include weakness and depression. - ---correct
answer ---D. Symptoms of hypomagnesemia include weakness and depression.
Which statement describes acidemia?
A. State in which the pH of arterial blood is greater than 7.45
B. State in which the pH of arterial blood is less than 7.35
C. Systemic decrease in hydrogen ion concentration
D. Systemic excess of base - ---correct answer ---B. State in which the pH of
arterial blood is less than 7.35
Common causes of edema formation (increased filtration of fluid from capillaries and lymph into
surrounding tissues) include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
Decreased capillary hydrostatic pressure
Decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Increased capillary membrane permeability
Lymphatic obstruction
Sodium retention - ---correct answer ---Decreased capillary oncotic pressure
Increased capillary membrane permeability
Lymphatic obstruction
Sodium retention
Which are clinical manifestations of hypokalemia? (Select all that apply.)
Decreased insulin secretion
Impaired renal function
, Decreased neuromuscular excitability
Increased contractility of skeletal muscle - ---correct answer ---Decreased insulin
secretion
Impaired renal function
Decreased neuromuscular excitability
Which treatments are appropriate for hyperkalemia? (Select all that apply.)
Calcium gluconate
Treating the contributing cause
Glucagon
Buffered solutions - ---correct answer ---Calcium gluconate
Treating the contributing cause
Buffered solutions
Which term describes the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) subunit of one deoxyribose molecule,
one phosphate group, and one base?
Polypeptide
Double helix
Nucleotide
Codon - ---correct answer ---Nucleotide
Which statement is true regarding termination codons?
Eighty codons are possible.
Three codons signal the end of a gene.
Seventy codons specify amino acids.
