A client is being discharged on lithium. The nurse encourages the client to follow which health maintenance recommendations? Select all that apply.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Clients should drink adequate water (approximately 2 L/day) and continue with the usual amount of dietary table salt. Having too much salt in the diet because of unusually salty foods or the ingestion of salt-containing antacids can reduce receptor availability for lithium and increase lithium excretion, so the lithium level will be too low. If there is too much water, lithium is diluted, and the lithium level will be too low to be therapeutic. Drinking too little water or losing fluid through excessive sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea increases the lithium level, which may result in toxicity.
Monitoring daily weights and the balance between intake and output and checking for dependent edema can be helpful in monitoring fluid balance. The physician should be contacted if the client has diarrhea, fever, flu, or any condition that leads to dehydration.

A Client Is Being Discharged on Lithium