ATI RN
Fluid and Electrolytes ATI Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is visiting an 84-year-old woman living at home and recovering from hip surgery. The woman seems confused and has poor skin turgor, and she states that �€œshe stops drinking water early in the day because it is too difficult to get up during the night to go to the bathroom.�€ The nurse explains to the woman that:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In elderly patients, the clinical manifestations of fluid and electrolyte disturbances may be subtle or atypical. For example, fluid deficit may cause confusion or cognitive impairment in the elderly person.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse in the intensive care unit receives arterial blood gases (ABG) with a patient who is complaining of being 'short of breath.' The ABG has the following values: pH = 7.21, PaCO2 = 64 mm Hg, HCO3 = 24 mm Hg. The labs reflect:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A pH of less than 7.40, a PaCO2 greater than 40, and an HCO3 of 24 are normal; therefore, it is a respiratory acidosis. Compensation by the kidneys has not begun, which indicates this was probably an acute event.
Question 3 of 5
A 65-year-old male patient was admitted to a medical-surgical unit 72 hours ago with pyloric stenosis; a nasogastric tube was inserted upon admission and has been on low intermittent suction since then. The nurse taking care of the patient notices that his potassium is very low and becomes concerned that the patient may be at risk for:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Probably the most common cause of metabolic alkalosis is vomiting or gastric suction with loss of hydrogen and chloride ions. The disorder also occurs in pyloric stenosis in which only gastric fluid is lost. Vomiting, gastric suction, and pyloric stenosis all remove potassium and can cause hypokalemia.
Question 4 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 5 of 5
A nurse in the medical-surgical unit has a newly admitted patient who is oliguric; the acute care nurse practitioner orders a fluid challenge of 100 to 200 mL of normal saline solution over 15 minutes. The nurse is aware this intervention will help:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: If a patient is not excreting enough urine, the health care provider needs to determine whether the depressed renal function is the result of reduced renal blood flow, which is a fluid Volume deficit (FVD) or prerenal azotemia, or acute tubular necrosis that results in necrosis or cellular death from prolonged FVD. A typical example of a fluid challenge involves administering 100 to 200 mL of normal saline solution over 15 minutes. The response by a patient with FVD but normal renal function is increased urine output and increased blood pressure.
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