ATI RN
ATI Fluid and Electrolytes
1. You are performing an admission assessment on an older adult patient newly admitted for end-stage liver disease. What principle should guide your assessment of the patient's skin turgor?
- A. Overhydration is common among healthy older adults.
- B. Dehydration causes the skin to appear spongy.
- C. Inelastic skin turgor is a normal part of aging.
- D. Skin turgor cannot be assessed in patients over 70.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Inelastic skin is a normal change of aging. However, this does not mean that skin turgor cannot be assessed in older patients. Dehydration, not overhydration, causes inelastic skin with tenting. Overhydration, not dehydration, causes the skin to appear edematous and spongy. Choice A is incorrect because overhydration is not common among healthy older adults. Choice B is incorrect because dehydration leads to inelastic skin, not sponginess. Choice D is incorrect as skin turgor assessment can be done in patients of any age, including those over 70.
2. What is the main water-holding force in the blood capillaries?
- A. Capillary blood pressure
- B. Sodium in the blood plasma
- C. Protein in the blood plasma
- D. Chloride in the blood plasma
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Protein in the blood plasma. Plasma proteins, especially albumin, create oncotic pressure, which is the main force responsible for holding water within the blood capillaries. Capillary blood pressure (Choice A) is involved in pushing blood through the capillaries, while sodium and chloride in the blood plasma (Choices B and D) are electrolytes and do not play a significant role in the water-holding force within capillaries.
3. A nurse is caring for a client who has the following arterial blood values: pH 7.12, PaO2 56 mm Hg, PaCO2 65 mm Hg, and HCO3 22 mEq/L. Which clinical situation should the nurse correlate with these values?
- A. . Diabetic ketoacidosis in a person with emphysema
- B. Bronchial obstruction related to aspiration of a hot dog
- C. Anxiety-induced hyperventilation in an adolescen
- D. Diarrhea for 36 hours in an older, frail woman
Correct answer: A
Rationale:
4. Which of the following is not considered an extracellular fluid?
- A. Cerebrospinal fluid
- B. The humors of the eye
- C. Lymph
- D. Cerebrospinal fluid and the humors of the eye
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D. Cerebrospinal fluid and the humors of the eye are not considered extracellular fluids. Extracellular fluids are fluids found outside the cells, such as interstitial fluid and lymph. Cerebrospinal fluid is found within the central nervous system, while the humors of the eye (aqueous humor and vitreous humor) are located within the eyeball, making them distinct from extracellular fluids.
5. A patient who is in renal failure partially loses the ability to regulate changes in pH because the kidneys:
- A. Regulate and reabsorb carbonic acid to change and maintain pH
- B. Buffer acids through electrolyte changes
- C. Regenerate and reabsorb bicarbonate to maintain a stable pH
- D. Combine carbonic acid and bicarbonate to maintain a stable pH
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. In renal failure, the kidneys lose the ability to regulate pH by controlling bicarbonate levels in the extracellular fluid (ECF). The kidneys can regenerate and reabsorb bicarbonate ions to maintain a stable pH. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the kidneys do not primarily regulate or reabsorb carbonic acid, buffer acids through electrolyte changes, or combine carbonic acid and bicarbonate to maintain pH. The key function of the kidneys in maintaining pH balance lies in the control of bicarbonate levels.
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