You are working on the cardiac unit and you have noticed that a patient’s potassium is 6.1 mEq/L. You have notified the provider and removed the banana from his meal tray. When explaining your actions to the patient, which of these statements is appropriate?
Your potassium levels in your blood are higher than they should be, which brings a risk of changes in kidney function.
The amount of potassium in your blood is too high, but I will change your intravenous fluids.
Your potassium level is high so I need you to let me know if you feel numbness, tingling, or weakness.
I need to monitor you for signs of high potassium; tell me if you feel as if your heart is beating quickly.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Linking high potassium to kidney function risk is inaccurate; hyperkalemia primarily affects cardiac and neuromuscular function. Numbness, tingling, or weakness are direct symptoms, making this statement less relevant for patient education and incorrect.
Choice B reason: Changing IV fluids may be a treatment but doesn’t explain the issue or engage the patient. Asking to report numbness, tingling, or weakness directly addresses hyperkalemia symptoms, making this less appropriate and incorrect.
Choice C reason: High potassium (6.1 mEq/L) can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness. Instructing the patient to report these symptoms ensures early detection of worsening hyperkalemia, making this the correct, patient-centered statement for education.
Choice D reason: Palpitations may occur, but numbness, tingling, and weakness are more specific to hyperkalemia’s neuromuscular effects. “Quick beating” is less precise for heart rhythm issues, so this is incorrect compared to option c.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Thrombocytopenia is a low platelet count (<150,000/mm³), not >100,000/mm³, which may still be normal or low-normal. A count <150,000 defines the condition, so this is incorrect.
Choice B reason: Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count less than 150,000/mm³, increasing bleeding risk. This accurately describes the condition, making it the correct choice for the definition.
Choice C reason: Thrombocytopenia causes bleeding, not increased clotting, due to low platelets. Clotting issues arise from high platelets, so this is incorrect for thrombocytopenia’s effects.
Choice D reason: Thrombocytopenia results from decreased platelet production or increased destruction, not increased production. Low platelet count defines it, so this is incorrect for the cause.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: The nasal compartment refers to the nasal cavity, not specific colored areas. Paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities around the nose, often highlighted in anatomical diagrams, making this an incorrect term for the described structures.
Choice B reason: Paranasal sinuses, including frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, and maxillary sinuses, are air-filled cavities around the nasal cavity, often colored in anatomical images. This matches the question’s reference to colored areas, making it the correct term.
Choice C reason: Runny nose describes a symptom (rhinorrhea), not anatomical structures. The question refers to colored areas, likely in a diagram, which aligns with sinuses, not a clinical condition, making this an incorrect choice.
Choice D reason: Olfactory bulbs are neural structures for smell, located above the nasal cavity, not typically colored as distinct areas in sinus diagrams. Paranasal sinuses are the highlighted structures, making this an incorrect term for the described areas.
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