A nurse is caring for a client who has a positive Trousseau's sign and bone pain. Which of the following electrolyte imbalances should the nurse suspect to find with this client?

A. Repeat blood serum potassium: While it’s important to monitor potassium levels, the immediate priority when preparing to administer potassium is ensuring safe administration practices, not rechecking levels before initiating therapy.

B. Educate client regarding high-potassium food sources: Client education is important for long-term management but is not a priority when preparing for intravenous potassium replacement in an acute setting.

C. Cardiac monitoring during infusion: Potassium affects cardiac conduction, and rapid correction can lead to arrhythmias. Continuous cardiac monitoring is necessary to detect any life-threatening arrhythmias during the infusion.

D. Ensure that the client's urine output is at least 1 mL/kg/hour: Adequate urine output ensures that the kidneys are functioning and capable of excreting excess potassium, reducing the risk of hyperkalemia.

E. Ensure potassium infusion is prepared with 5% dextrose solution: Potassium should not be mixed with dextrose, as it can increase insulin release, causing potassium to shift into cells and worsen hypokalemia.

A. Diarrhea: Diarrhea leads to the loss of bicarbonate, an important buffer in the blood, which can contribute to the development of metabolic acidosis as the body loses bicarbonate faster than it can replace it.

B. Vomiting: Vomiting typically leads to metabolic alkalosis due to the loss of stomach acid, which reduces the amount of hydrogen ions in the body.

C. Salicylate intoxication: This condition primarily causes a mixed acid-base disturbance, including metabolic acidosis and respiratory alkalosis, due to its effects on both the metabolic and respiratory systems.

D. Hyperventilation: This condition causes respiratory alkalosis due to excessive loss of carbon dioxide, not metabolic acidosis.