Among the following, which is not a clinical finding of a severely dehydrated patient?
Skin pallor and cool-to-touch skin
Pitting edema
Tachycardia with thready pulse
Lung sounds diminished with crackles upon auscultation
Urine Specific gravity of 1.035 D. Blood sodium 150 mEq/L
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A rationale
Skin pallor and cool-to-touch skin are common signs of severe dehydration. When the body is severely dehydrated, blood flow to the skin decreases, causing the skin to feel cool and look pale.
Choice B rationale
Pitting edema is not a clinical finding of severe dehydration. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Pitting edema is a condition that causes swelling due to fluid accumulation, often due to conditions like heart failure, liver disease, or kidney disease.
Choice C rationale
Tachycardia with a thready pulse is a common sign of severe dehydration. The heart rate increases in an attempt to maintain blood flow to the organs, and the pulse may feel weak or thready due to low blood volume.
Choice D rationale
Lung sounds diminished with crackles upon auscultation is not typically associated with dehydration. This is more commonly seen in conditions affecting the lungs such as pneumonia or heart failure.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A rationale
While electrolyte balance is important in patient care, it is not the primary reason for measuring gastric residual before administering a feeding through an NG tube.
Choice B rationale
Confirming the placement of the NG tube is crucial before administering a feeding. However, measuring the gastric residual is not the primary method used to confirm tube placement.
Choice C rationale
Removing gastric acid that might cause dyspepsia is not the main purpose of measuring gastric residual. Dyspepsia, or indigestion, is typically managed with medications and dietary modifications.
Choice D rationale
The primary purpose of measuring gastric residual is to identify delayed gastric emptying. Gastric residual refers to the volume of formula or contents remaining in the stomach from the previous feeding. If gastric emptying is delayed, the nurse should avoid overfeeding the patient and causing gastric distention.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
The correct answer is Choice C.
Step 1 is to interpret the laboratory values. The glucose level is within the normal range (7099 mg/dL). The chloride level is within the normal range (97-107 mEq/L). The sodium level is within the normal range (135-145 mEq/L). However, the potassium level is low (normal range is 3.5-5.0 mEq/L)89101112.
Step 2 is to plan the action based on the interpretation. Given the low potassium level, the nurse should plan to request a potassium replacement
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