The client is on furosemide (Lasix) and has a potassium level of 2.9 mEq/L. What is the nurse's priority action?
- A. Administer potassium supplements.
- B. Hold the furosemide and notify the healthcare provider.
- C. Continue the current dose of furosemide.
- D. Decrease the dose of furosemide.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Rationale:
1. Furosemide is a loop diuretic that can cause potassium loss.
2. Potassium level of 2.9 mEq/L indicates hypokalemia, which can lead to serious complications.
3. Priority is to address low potassium levels to prevent adverse effects like cardiac arrhythmias.
4. Administering potassium supplements helps to normalize potassium levels promptly.
Summary:
B: Holding furosemide without addressing low potassium can worsen the imbalance.
C: Continuing the current dose without addressing low potassium can lead to further depletion.
D: Decreasing furosemide dose before addressing low potassium can delay correcting the imbalance.
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A client with dysrhythmia has decreased cardiac output. Which of the following nursing interventions is essential to maintain adequate cardiac output?
- A. Encourage mild exercises
- B. Place the client in supine position
- C. Ensure a client IV access
- D. Provide supplemental oxygen
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Supplemental oxygen improves oxygen delivery to tissues, supporting cardiac output in clients with dysrhythmias.
A client on a beta blocker has a blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg. What is the nurse's priority action?
- A. Hold the beta blocker and notify the healthcare provider.
- B. Administer the beta blocker as ordered.
- C. Administer a diuretic to reduce blood pressure.
- D. Continue to monitor the client and reassess in 30 minutes.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Hold the beta blocker and notify the healthcare provider. A blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg is considered low and may be a sign of hypotension, which can be a serious side effect of beta blockers. Holding the medication and notifying the healthcare provider is the priority action to prevent further complications. Administering the beta blocker (choice B) can worsen the hypotension. Administering a diuretic (choice C) may further lower the blood pressure. Continuing to monitor and reassess (choice D) is not appropriate in this situation as immediate action is needed due to the low blood pressure reading.
Which heart chamber ejects blood into the systemic arterial circulation via the aorta?
- A. Right atrium
- B. Left atrium
- C. Right ventricle
- D. Left ventricle
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, Left ventricle. The left ventricle is responsible for ejecting oxygenated blood into the systemic arterial circulation via the aorta. It receives oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium and pumps it out through the aorta to the rest of the body.
Rationale:
1. The left ventricle receives blood from the left atrium, which has already been oxygenated in the lungs.
2. It is the chamber that generates the highest pressure to propel blood into the systemic circulation.
3. The aorta is the main artery that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body.
4. The right atrium and right ventricle are involved in pumping deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation, not into the systemic circulation.
5. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs but does not directly eject blood into the systemic arterial circulation.
Which of the following are the reasons a nurse discourages the consumption of alcohol for a client with mitral valve prolapse?
- A. Tachycardia
- B. Cinchonism
- C. Hypertension
- D. Cardiac stimulation
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Alcohol can stimulate the heart, exacerbating symptoms in clients with mitral valve prolapse.
Which of the following veins is the largest and carries back deoxygenated blood from the tissues in the lower extremities and enters the heart proximally?
- A. Pulmonary artery
- B. Inferior vena cava
- C. Pulmonary vein
- D. Superior vena cava
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The inferior vena cava is the largest vein carrying deoxygenated blood from the lower body into the heart.