What is the major extracellular (EC) electrolyte in the body?
Sodium.
Potassium.
Calcium.
Magnesium.
The Correct Answer is A
Sodium is the major extracellular electrolyte in the body.
It is responsible for maintaining the extracellular fluid volume, and also for regulation of the membrane potential of cells.
Sodium is exchanged along with potassium across cell membranes as part of active transport.
Choice B is wrong because potassium is mainly an intracellular ion.
It is important for nerve and muscle function, but it is not the predominant electrolyte in the extracellular fluid.
Choice C is wrong because calcium is not the major electrolyte in the extracellular fluid.
Calcium is mostly found in bones and teeth, where it forms a mineral reserve with phosphate.
Calcium also plays a role in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and enzyme activity.
Choice D is wrong because magnesium is not the major electrolyte in the extracellular fluid.
Magnesium is mostly found in bones, where it helps to stabilize the structure of ATP2.
Magnesium also participates in enzyme reactions, nerve and muscle function, and protein synthesis.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Hyponatremia is a condition where the serum sodium level is below 135 mEq/L, which can affect the normal functioning of cells, muscles, and organs.
Administering intravenous fluids with a high sodium content can help restore the sodium balance and prevent complications such as confusion, seizures, and coma.
Choice A is wrong because encouraging the patient to consume a low-sodium diet would worsen the hyponatremia and increase the risk of electrolyte imbalance.
Choice C is wrong because administering a diuretic medication to increase urine output would cause further fluid and sodium loss and exacerbate the hyponatremia.
Choice D is wrong because encouraging the patient to increase fluid intake would dilute the sodium concentration and lower the serum sodium level.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Serum creatinine is a waste product that comes from muscle activity and is normally removed by the kidneys.
When the kidneys are damaged, the serum creatinine level rises.
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a measure of how well the kidneys are filtering the blood and it is calculated from the serum creatinine level.
A normal GFR is 60 or more, while a GFR below 60 may indicate kidney disease.
Therefore, monitoring the serum creatinine level and the GFR can help assess the renal function in CKD.
Choice A is wrong because blood glucose level is not a direct indicator of renal function, although high blood glucose can damage the kidneys over time.
Choice C is wrong because serum albumin level is not a specific marker of renal function, although low serum albumin can be caused by protein loss in the urine due to kidney damage.
Choice D is wrong because white blood cell count is not related to renal function, but rather to immune system activity and infection.
Normal ranges for serum creatinine are 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dL for men and 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL for women.
Normal ranges for GFR are 90 to 120 mL/min.
Normal ranges for serum albumin are 3.4 to 5.4 g/dL1.
Normal ranges for white blood cell count are 4,000 to 11,000 cells per microliter.
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