ATI RN
Fluid and Electrolytes ATI Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient who is hospitalized with a possible electrolyte imbalance is disoriented and weak, has an irregular pulse, and takes hydrochlorothiazide. He most likely suffers from:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The symptoms of hypokalemia include GI, cardiac, renal, respiratory, and neurologic disturbances. The use of potassium-wasting diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide, without potassium replacement therapy is a primary cause of hypokalemia.
Question 2 of 5
The patient asks the nurse if he will die if air bubbles get into the IV tubing. What is the nurse's best response?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An air emboli is more often associated with central vein access. Usually only relatively large volumes of air administered rapidly are dangerous. It is more often a concern when air enters a central venous access line.
Question 3 of 5
The renin and angiotensin systems help to maintain the balance of sodium and water in the body. What other functions do these systems serve?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The renin and angiotensin systems help to maintain the balance of sodium and water in the body and maintain healthy blood volumes.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse is taking care of a 65-year-old female patient in a medical-surgical unit who is in renal failure; during the assessment the patient complains of tingling in her lips and fingers. When the nurse takes her blood pressure, she has a spasm in her wrist and hand. The nurse suspects:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tetany is the most characteristic manifestation of hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. Sensations of tingling may occur in the tips of the fingers, around the mouth, and less commonly in the feet. Taking a normal blood pressure could illicit a carpal spasm if it creates slight ischemia of the ulnar nerve.
Question 5 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.
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