A 14-year-old female student is brought to the clinic by her mother, who says the client has been using laxatives to lose weight. The client complains of feeling tired and weak and is probably experiencing what electrolyte imbalance?
Hypocalcemia
Hyperkalemia
Hypokalemia
Hypernatremia
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Hypocalcemia, or low blood calcium, results from impaired parathyroid function or vitamin D deficiency, causing muscle cramps and tetany. Laxative abuse primarily causes potassium loss through diarrhea, not calcium. Calcium homeostasis is tightly regulated, and laxative-induced diarrhea does not significantly deplete calcium, making this an unlikely cause of the client’s symptoms.
Choice B reason: Hyperkalemia, elevated blood potassium, occurs in conditions like renal failure or excessive potassium intake. Laxative abuse leads to potassium loss via frequent bowel movements, causing hypokalemia, not hyperkalemia. High potassium can cause cardiac arrhythmias, but the client’s fatigue and weakness align more closely with low potassium levels.
Choice C reason: Hypokalemia, low blood potassium, is a common consequence of laxative abuse due to excessive fecal potassium excretion. Potassium is essential for muscle and nerve function, and its depletion causes fatigue, weakness, and potential arrhythmias. The client’s symptoms of tiredness and weakness strongly indicate hypokalemia as the primary electrolyte imbalance.
Choice D reason: Hypernatremia, high blood sodium, results from dehydration or excessive sodium intake. While laxative abuse can cause dehydration, the primary electrolyte loss is potassium, not sodium retention. Hypernatremia may cause neurological symptoms like confusion, but the client’s fatigue and weakness are more characteristic of hypokalemia than hypernatremia.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Supine with head elevated is used for comfort or respiratory support but not for lumbar puncture. This position does not allow access to the lumbar spine or flex the back to open intervertebral spaces, which is necessary for safe needle insertion during the procedure.
Choice B reason: Prone with legs extended is used for procedures like wound care but not lumbar puncture. This position does not flex the spine to widen intervertebral spaces, making needle insertion difficult and risky. The lateral recumbent position is standard for accessing the subarachnoid space.
Choice C reason: Lateral recumbent with knees flexed maximizes lumbar spine flexion, opening intervertebral spaces for safe needle insertion into the subarachnoid space during a lumbar puncture. This position reduces the risk of nerve damage and ensures accurate cerebrospinal fluid collection, making it the standard choice.
Choice D reason: Sitting upright with back straight may be used in some procedures but is less common for lumbar puncture. It does not provide optimal spinal flexion compared to the lateral recumbent position, which better exposes the lumbar vertebrae, reducing complications during needle insertion.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: The affective domain involves emotions and attitudes, such as valuing a diet’s importance. The client’s understanding of the diet’s role in recovery indicates knowledge, not emotional engagement. While they may value the diet, the question emphasizes understanding, which aligns with cognitive learning, not affective.
Choice B reason: The psychomotor domain involves physical skills, like preparing food or performing tasks. Following a nutritional chart accurately may involve actions, but the question highlights understanding the diet’s role in recovery, which is cognitive. Physical adherence is secondary to the mental comprehension described in the scenario.
Choice C reason: The interpersonal domain, not standard in learning taxonomies, may imply social skills. The client’s actions involve individual understanding and application of knowledge, not social interaction. The focus on understanding the diet’s impact on recovery points to cognitive learning, not interpersonal or social processes.
Choice D reason: The cognitive domain involves knowledge, comprehension, and application. The client’s ability to read, follow, and understand the nutritional chart’s role in recovery demonstrates cognitive learning. This includes processing information, understanding relationships, and applying knowledge to improve health outcomes, aligning with the scenario’s description of successful learning.
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