Author Question: A client is in the clinic with mild chest pain and is being treated with digitalis and diuretics. ... (Read 18 times)

moongchi · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A client is in the clinic with mild chest pain and is being treated with digitalis and diuretics. The client states that food has been of no interest the past several days.

The nurse suspects that the client is experiencing hypokalemia, and expects the physician to order which laboratory test?

1. Hemoglobin and white blood cell count
2. Chest x-ray
3. ECG
4. CT scan

Question 2

A client in the Emergency Department has been vomiting for the past three days. The nurse notes the arterial blood gas results of: pH 7.50, PaCO2 38, PaO2 80, and HCO3 29. The nurse realizes that the client is experiencing:

1. metabolic alkalosis.
2. metabolic acidosis.
3. respiratory alkalosis.
4. respiratory acidosis.

nekcihc358 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 3

1. Since the client is being treated with digitalis and diuretics and has chest pain, hemoglobin and white cell count would not be helpful in diagnosing the problem.
2. A chest x-ray cannot diagnose hypokalemia.
3. The nurse would expect serum electrolytes to be drawn and an ECG to be completed to identify dysrhythmias, since the client is experiencing chest pain.
4. A CT scan cannot identify hypokalemia or dysrhythmias.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 1

1. The nurse notes that the client has been vomiting for 3 days, and is losing acid from the stomach, so should expect alkalosis. The CO2 is normal, which would indicate a metabolic problem rather than a respiratory one. The pH and bicarbonate levels are elevated.
2. With metabolic acidosis, the pH is low and the HCO3 is low as well.
3. In respiratory alkalosis, the CO2 is low and the pH is high.
4. In respiratory acidosis, the CO2 is high and the pH is low.