Author Question: While the nurse is washing the face of a patient in renal failure, the patient demonstrates a spasm ... (Read 164 times)

Evvie72 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

While the nurse is washing the face of a patient in renal failure, the patient demonstrates a spasm of the lips and face. Which laboratory value corresponds with the nurse's assessment findings?

a. Potassium of 3.4 mEq/L
b. Calcium of 7.9 mg/dL
c. Sodium of 140 mEq/L
d. Phosphorus of 2.8 mg/dL

Question 2

A resident with advanced Parkinson disease stays in his wheelchair all day. He reports that he is too tired to walk and is fearful of falling.

Which intervention to increase the patient's mobility should the nurse add to the patient's care plan?
a. Instruct the resident in crutch walking.
b. Assist the resident with ambulating in the hallway with a gait belt.
c. Encourage the resident to rock back and forth in his wheelchair to off-load weight.
d. Arrange for a walking cane.

cloudre37 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
Chvostek sign is a signal of hypocalcemia. It occurs when the facial nerve is tapped or stroked about an inch in front of the earlobe and results in unilateral twitching of the face. Hypocalcemia occurs when the calcium level drops below 8.4 . A potassium level of 3.4 mEq/L and a sodium level of 140 mEq/L are findings within normal limits. A patient in renal failure is most likely to have a high phosphorus level rather than a low phosphorus level, and 2.8 mg/dL is within the range consistent with hypophosphatemia.

Answer to Question 2

B
Walking is the best exercise to prevent problems associated with immobility. The gait belt will make the resident more secure. Canes and crutches do not diminish the weakness or the fear of falling.