how should a nurse assess a patient with hyperkalemia
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1. How should a healthcare professional assess a patient with hyperkalemia?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Corrected Question: When assessing a patient with hyperkalemia, monitoring the ECG and administering insulin are crucial steps. Hyperkalemia can affect the heart's function, leading to life-threatening arrhythmias. Monitoring the ECG helps in identifying any cardiac abnormalities associated with high potassium levels. Administering insulin, along with glucose, helps shift potassium from the bloodstream into the cells, temporarily lowering the potassium levels. Choice B is incorrect because monitoring blood glucose levels and providing fluids are not the primary interventions for hyperkalemia. Choice C is incorrect as monitoring for muscle weakness and administering calcium gluconate are not the first-line treatments for hyperkalemia. Calcium gluconate may be used in specific situations to stabilize cardiac cell membranes in severe cases of hyperkalemia. Choice D is incorrect because monitoring electrolyte levels and providing potassium supplements would worsen hyperkalemia, as the patient already has elevated potassium levels and does not require additional potassium supplementation.

2. A healthcare provider is providing discharge teaching to a client who is recovering from acute pancreatitis. Which of the following instructions should the healthcare provider include?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Clients recovering from acute pancreatitis should consume a low-fat diet to reduce the workload on the pancreas and prevent exacerbation. This diet helps in minimizing the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion, which aids in the recovery process. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as limiting carbohydrate intake or increasing protein intake may not be necessary for acute pancreatitis, and acetaminophen may not be the first-line choice for pain management in this condition.

3. When managing a physically assaultive client, the nurse's INITIAL priority is to

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When dealing with a physically assaultive client, the initial priority is to focus on restoring the client's self-control and preventing further escalation. Restricting the client to the room (choice A) may escalate the situation and is not the initial priority. Placing the client under one-to-one supervision (choice B) is important but comes after ensuring the client's self-control. Clearing the immediate area of other clients (choice D) is essential for safety but is not the initial priority when compared to restoring the client's self-control.

4. Which of the following is an early indicator that suctioning is needed for a client with a tracheostomy?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Irritability is an early indicator that suctioning is needed for a client with a tracheostomy because it can signal discomfort or difficulty breathing due to mucus accumulation, prompting the need for suctioning to clear the airway. Bradycardia (Choice A) and hypotension (Choice B) are not typically early indicators of the need for suctioning in a client with a tracheostomy. Confusion (Choice D) is also not a direct early indicator of the need for suctioning in this context.

5. A healthcare professional is reviewing the medical records of a client who has a pressure ulcer. Which of the following is an expected finding?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: A serum albumin level of 3 g/dL is indicative of poor nutrition, which is commonly associated with pressure ulcers. This finding suggests that the client may be at risk for developing or already has a pressure ulcer due to malnutrition. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) level of 90 mg/dL (Choice B) is not directly related to pressure ulcers. The Norton scale (Choice C) is used to assess a client's risk of developing pressure ulcers, not as a finding in a client with an existing pressure ulcer. The Braden scale (Choice D) is also a tool used to assess the risk of developing pressure ulcers, not a finding in a client with an existing pressure ulcer.

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