Physiological Adaptation Flashcards
6 cards from real NACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Physiological Adaptation flashcards as text
A patient with heart failure is prescribed furosemide 40 mg IV. Which electrolyte imbalance should the nurse monitor for most closely?
Answer: Hypokalemia
Furosemide is a loop diuretic that causes significant potassium loss through increased urinary excretion, leading to hypokalemia.
A patient with cirrhosis develops ascites and peripheral edema. Which laboratory finding would the nurse expect?
Answer: Decreased serum albumin
The cirrhotic liver cannot produce adequate albumin, leading to decreased oncotic pressure and fluid shifting into the interstitial space and peritoneal cavity.
Which finding is a classic sign of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)?
Answer: Fruity odor to the breath
The fruity or acetone breath odor in DKA results from the breakdown of fatty acids into ketone bodies as the body attempts to use fat for energy without insulin.
A nurse is caring for a patient in septic shock. Which set of vital signs is most consistent with early (warm) septic shock?
Answer: BP 80/40, HR 120, Temp 103 degrees F, warm flushed skin
Early septic shock (hyperdynamic/warm phase) presents with hypotension, tachycardia, fever, and vasodilation causing warm, flushed skin.
A patient recovering from surgery develops sudden onset dyspnea, chest pain, and tachycardia. Which complication should the nurse suspect?
Answer: Pulmonary embolism
Sudden onset of dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and tachycardia in a post-surgical patient are classic signs of pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening emergency.
A patient with chronic kidney disease has a potassium level of 6.2 mEq/L. Which cardiac rhythm change should the nurse anticipate?
Answer: Peaked T waves
Hyperkalemia characteristically produces tall, peaked T waves on ECG as one of the earliest changes, followed by widened QRS and eventual sine wave pattern.