Exam 2: NR226/ NR 226 Fundamentals
Patient Care Exam| Complete Guide with
Verified Answers (2023/ 2024 Update)-
Chamberlain
Q: Hypernatremia
Answer: Abnormally high sodium concentration in the blood
-water deficit
Q: What types of patients should you monitor for hypernatremia?
Answer: Diabetes insipidus
Osmotic diuresis
-Large amount of perspiration and respiratory water output
-Tube feedings, hypertonic parenteral fluids, or salt tablets
-Dysfunction of osmoreceptor driven thirst drive
Q: Causes of hypernatremia
Answer: Excessive / rapid IV administration of normal saline, inadequate water intake and
kidney disease
Q: Normal range for sodium
Answer: 135-145 mEq/L
Q: Signs and symptoms of hypernatremia
Answer: Confusion, dry mucous membranes, seizures flat neck veins, dry skin, intense thirst,
dark urine, skin tenting
Q: True or false
Answer: a patient with hypernatermia will show very similar signs of dehydration
Answer: True
Q: What blood work is done to look at sodium?
Answer: Chem 7, cmp
Q: Confusion is present in both hypo and hyper
Answer: Hyponatermia and hypernatremia
Q: Treatment for hypernatremia
Answer: Weigh patient daily, monitor I/O, check vital signs, check skin turgor, place patient on
sodium restricted diet
Q: Clinical dehydration
Answer: ECV deficit and hypernatremia combined
Q: What IV drugs do you want to administer for a patient experiencing hyper- natremia
Answer: Hypotonic IV fluids or Isotonic IV fluids
Q: Hyponatremia
Answer: Abnormally low sodium ion concentration in the blood
Q: Causes of hyponatremia
Answer: Decreased sodium intake, increased sodium excre- tion due to suctioning
Q: Signs and symptoms of hyponatremia
Answer: Confusion, N/V, abdominal cramping, weigh gain, cold clammy skin, SOB, crackles,
periorbital edema,
Q: Treatment for hyponatremia
Answer: Provide high sodium foods, auscultate lungs
(crackles), monitor body weight and vital signs
Q: What IV solutions should be hung to help with hyponatremia?
Answer: Administer hypertonic IV fluids or Hypotonic IV fluids,
Q: Hyperkalemia
Answer: abnormally high potassium ion in concentration in the blood
Q: Whenever potassium is off, what should the nurse be worried about?
Answer: The heart; dysrhythmias occur in both hypo and hyperkalemia
Q: What should you use to help determine if a patient is experiencing a potassium imbalance?
Answer: Lab: CNP, BMP
Test: 12 lead ECG or EKG
Q: Causes of hyperkalemia
Answer: Excessive potassium intake, shift of potassium from cells into the ECF
-Renal issues (oliguria)
Q: Signs and symptoms of hyperkalemia
Answer: muscle weakness, cardiac dysrhyth- mias, numbness, tinging, irritability, flaccid
paralysis, N/V/D
Q: Treatment for hyperkalemia includes
Answer: sodium polystyrene and keyaxalate enemas, diet changes, no use of salt supplements
Q: Keyaxalate enema
Answer: Removes excess potassium via the stool
Q: Sodium polystyrene
Answer: Removes excess potassium via bowel
Q: Why do you want to monitor acid base balance with hyperkalemia?
Answer: Too much potassium in the body can cause the blood to become acidic
Q: With hyper and hypokalemia what test should be ran?
Answer: ECG or EKG
Q: Hypokalemia
Answer: Low potassium concentration in the blood
Q: Causes of hypokalemia
Answer: NG tube suctioning, diuretics such as furosemide
Q: Signs and symptoms of hypokalemia
Answer: Cardiac dysrhythmias, thready, rapid, weak pulse, decreased blood pressure, muscle
weakness, shallow respiration, weight loss
Q: Treatment for hypokalemia
Answer: Increase potassium-rich foods, administer potas- sium supplements, monitor ECG,
EKG and vital signs
Q: Hypercalcemia
Answer: Abnormally high calcium concentration in the blood