A nurse is about to administer a daily dose of potassium chloride 20 mEq suspension orally.

The available amount is potassium chloride suspension 10 mEq/mL.

How many mL should the nurse administer?

Choice A rationale

Hyperventilation is a potential treatment for brain herniation. Hyperventilation causes a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the blood, leading to vasoconstriction of the cerebral blood vessels. This reduces cerebral blood flow and decreases intracranial pressure, which can help in the management of brain herniation.

Choice B rationale

Decreasing sedation is not typically a treatment for brain herniation. Sedation can be used in the management of increased intracranial pressure, but it is not a direct treatment for brain herniation.

Choice C rationale

Reducing the temperature in the room is not a direct treatment for brain herniation. While temperature control is important in the overall management of a patient with brain injury, it does not directly treat brain herniation.

Choice D rationale

Lowering blood pressure is not a direct treatment for brain herniation. While maintaining optimal blood pressure is important in the management of brain injury, aggressive lowering of blood pressure is not typically done as it could compromise cerebral perfusion.

Choice A rationale

Providing a list of the client’s current medications during the change of shift report is not a part of medication reconciliation. While it is important to communicate about a patient’s medications during shift changes, medication reconciliation is a more comprehensive process that involves comparing the medications a patient is taking with newly ordered medications.

Choice B rationale

Over-the-counter medications should be included in the medication reconciliation report. Over-the-counter medications can interact with prescription medications and affect a patient’s health, so it’s important to include them in medication reconciliation.

Choice C rationale

Medication reconciliation should be performed for a client at discharge from a health care facility. This is a critical step in ensuring the patient continues to take the correct medications at home.

Choice D rationale

Providing a list of the client’s current medications during admission to a health care facility is a part of medication reconciliation. This helps to ensure that the patient’s medications are correctly managed during their stay in the facility.