Fluid & Electrolytes (Hinkle and Cheever: Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, 15th Edition) LATEST UPDATES 2023.

Which is the most common cause of symptomatic hypomagnesemia? Intravenous drug use Alcoholism Sedentary lifestyle Burns-ANSWER Alcoholism You are caring for a client with severe hypokalemia. The physician has ordered IV potassium to be administered at 10 mEq/hr. The client complains of burning along their vein. What should you do? Dilute the infusion. Switch to an oral formulation. Increase the speed of transfusion. Change the electrolyte.-ANSWER Dilute the infusion. **Oral potassium may not be enough in severe cases hypokalemia.** Treatment of severe hypokalemia requires treatment with IV infusion of potassium. Clients may experience burning along the vein with IV infusion of potassium in proportion to the infusion's concentration. If the client can tolerate the fluid, consult with the physician about diluting the potassium in a larger volume of IV solution. Hypokalemia requires treatment with potassium and not any other electrolyte. Which laboratory result does the nurse identify as a direct result of the client's hypovolemic status with hemoconcentration? Abnormal potassium level Elevated hematocrit level Low white blood count Low urine specific gravity-ANSWER Elevated hematocrit level When hemoconcentration occurs due to a hypovolemic state, a high ratio of blood components in relation to watery plasma occurs, thus causing an elevated hematocrit