Question 1

What is the method by which inhaled oxygen is moved into the intravascular compartment called?
A) Active transport
B) Oxygenation
C) Passive transport
D) Mass movement

Accepted Answer

Passive transport occurs when the patient inhales oxygen into the lungs, with the oxygen passing by diffusion into the intravascular compartment.

Question 2

Three body systems work at different speeds to keep the pH in the narrow range of normal. What is the order of effectiveness for these three systems?
A) Blood buffers, kidneys, and lungs
B) Kidneys, lungs, and blood buffers
C) Blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys
D) Lungs, kidneys, and blood buffers

Accepted Answer

The three systems are blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys. The blood buffers' speed is a fraction of a second, the lungs take minutes, and the kidneys take hours to days.

Question 3

What is the nurse closely assessing for in a patient with hypokalemia?
A) Systemic edema
B) Cardiac complications
C) Muscle cramping
D) Impaired kidney function

Accepted Answer

Hypokalemia can affect cardiac function.

Question 4

When a patient takes substances into the body, they first enter the extracellular compartment. What must the substances enter to carry out their function?
A) Horizontal compartment
B) Intracellular compartment
C) Compartmental
D) Vertical compartment

Accepted Answer

To carry out their function, substances must enter the cell.

Question 5

The nurse encourages a patient who has been vomiting to drink fluids because the body fluid lost daily must match the amount of fluid taken in to maintain homeostasis. What is the recommended daily amount of fluid for an adult?
A) 1000 mL
B) 1500 mL
C) 2050 mL
D) 2500 mL

Accepted Answer

Daily fluid intake and output is about 2200-2700 mL/day, and urinary output is about 1000-2000 mL/day.

Question 6

Electrolytes are not measured by weight; their chemical activity is expressed in milliequivalents. What does 1 milliequivalent of potassium have the same combining power as?
A) 1 mEq of nitrogen
B) 1 mEq of oxygen
C) 1 mEq of hydrogen
D) 1 mEq of magnesium

Accepted Answer

Electrolytes are measured in milliequivalents: 1 mEq of any electrolyte is equal to 1 mEq of hydrogen.

Question 7

The nurse modifies the care plan for the immobilized patient after assessing a calcium level of 6.2 mEq/L. What nursing assessment should the nurse include when modifying this care plan?
A) Osteoporosis
B) Tooth loss
C) Renal calculi
D) Contractures

Accepted Answer

Hypercalcemia occurs when calcium levels exceed 5.8 mEq/L. It may occur when calcium stored in the bone enters the circulation, for example, in patients who are immobilized. Renal calculi may develop because of high levels of calcium.

Question 8

The nurse explains to a patient that the drug Lasix reduces edema by drawing water from the interstitial space into the intravascular space. What is this process called?
A) Diffusion
B) Filtration
C) Osmosis
D) Homeostasis

Accepted Answer

Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration.

Question 9

Homeostasis of the hydrogen ion concentration in body fluids depends on the ratio of carbonic acid to bicarbonate in the extracellular fluid. What is this ratio?
A) 1:5
B) 1:10
C) 1:15
D) 1:20

Accepted Answer

The ratio needed for homeostasis is 1 part carbonic acid to 20 parts bicarbonate.

Question 10

When administering intravenous (IV) fluids, the nurse ensures that the IV fluids are infusing as ordered to prevent dehydration in an adult. When could dehydration become lethal?
A) If the patient loses 5% of body fluid
B) If the patient loses 10% of body fluid
C) If the patient loses 15% of body fluid
D) If the patient loses 20% of body fluid

Accepted Answer

A loss of 20% of body fluid in an adult is fatal.

Question 11

The nurse weighs a patient at the same time of day with the same scale and same clothing. What is this a simple and accurate method of determining?
A) An accurate weight
B) Water balance
C) Adequate nutrition
D) Urinary output

Accepted Answer

A simple and accurate method of determining water balance is to weigh the patient under the same conditions each day.

Question 12

A nurse assesses an edematous cardiac patient. The nurse is aware that this condition is a result of retained fluid. What is the patient considered to be?
A) Hyponatremic
B) Hypokalemic
C) Hypernatremic
D) Hypercalcemic

Accepted Answer

Hypernatremia is a greater-than-normal concentration of sodium, which leads to retained fluids and edema.

Question 13

What does actively transporting electrolytes from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration require?
A) Hydrostatic pressure
B) Osmotic pressure
C) Blood pressure
D) Pulse pressure

Accepted Answer

Electrolytes are moved by hydrostatic pressure, which is a form of active transport.

Question 14

What percentage of an adult's body weight consists of water?
A) 10% to 20%
B) 30% to 40%
C) 50% to 60%
D) 70% to 80%

Accepted Answer

The percentage of water declines to 50% to 60% in adults.

Question 15

Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the body. The location of electrolytes is important for maintaining homeostasis. Sodium is the major electrolyte in which fluid compartment?
A) Intracellular
B) Intravascular
C) Extracellular
D) Interstitial

Accepted Answer

Sodium is the major extracellular electrolyte.

Question 16

What should the nurse expect when assessing a patient with respiratory alkalosis?
A) Slow respirations
B) Muscle weakness
C) Strong, even heart rate
D) Flushed face

Accepted Answer

Tetany and muscle weakness, tachypnea, and cardiac arrhythmias are symptomatic of respiratory alkalosis.

Question 17

The nurse uses a diagram to show that fluids in the interstitial and intravascular compartments are combined. What do they combine to form?
A) Intercellular compartment
B) Circulating compartment
C) Vertical compartment
D) Extracellular compartment

Accepted Answer

The fluids in the interstitial and intravascular compartments are combined to form the extracellular compartment.

Question 18

The nurse must keep an accurate intake and output record to assess kidney efficiency. In order for the kidneys to remove waste, what is the least amount of hourly urine output the kidneys must produce to remove waste?
A) 10 mL
B) 20 mL
C) 30 mL
D) 40 mL

Accepted Answer

The kidneys must excrete a minimum of 30 mL/hour to eliminate waste products.

Question 19

When reading the laboratory report of a patient with excessive diarrhea, the nurse notes that the pH is 7.10, and the PaCO? and the PaO? are normal. What should the nurse recognize as this patient's state from this information alone?
A) Respiratory acidosis
B) Metabolic acidosis
C) Respiratory alkalosis
D) Metabolic alkalosis

Accepted Answer

The profile of a patient in metabolic acidosis is that the blood pH will be below 7.35 and the oxygen readings are within normal limits.

Question 20

The lactating mother is counseled by the nurse to eat adequate amounts of meat and legumes. What level will this help to increase?
A) Potassium
B) Chloride
C) Magnesium
D) Phosphorus

Accepted Answer

Phosphorus should be increased during pregnancy and lactation.

Quiz 20: Fluids and Electrolytes

What is the method by which inhaled oxygen is moved into the intravascular compartment called?

Three body systems work at different speeds to keep the pH in the narrow range of normal. What is the order of effectiveness for these three systems?

What is the nurse closely assessing for in a patient with hypokalemia?

When a patient takes substances into the body, they first enter the extracellular compartment. What must the substances enter to carry out their function?

The nurse encourages a patient who has been vomiting to drink fluids because the body fluid lost daily must match the amount of fluid taken in to maintain homeostasis. What is the recommended daily amount of fluid for an adult?

Electrolytes are not measured by weight; their chemical activity is expressed in milliequivalents. What does 1 milliequivalent of potassium have the same combining power as?

The nurse modifies the care plan for the immobilized patient after assessing a calcium level of 6.2 mEq/L. What nursing assessment should the nurse include when modifying this care plan?

The nurse explains to a patient that the drug Lasix reduces edema by drawing water from the interstitial space into the intravascular space. What is this process called?

Homeostasis of the hydrogen ion concentration in body fluids depends on the ratio of carbonic acid to bicarbonate in the extracellular fluid. What is this ratio?

When administering intravenous (IV) fluids, the nurse ensures that the IV fluids are infusing as ordered to prevent dehydration in an adult. When could dehydration become lethal?

The nurse weighs a patient at the same time of day with the same scale and same clothing. What is this a simple and accurate method of determining?

A nurse assesses an edematous cardiac patient. The nurse is aware that this condition is a result of retained fluid. What is the patient considered to be?

What does actively transporting electrolytes from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration require?

What percentage of an adult's body weight consists of water?

Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the body. The location of electrolytes is important for maintaining homeostasis. Sodium is the major electrolyte in which fluid compartment?

What should the nurse expect when assessing a patient with respiratory alkalosis?

The nurse uses a diagram to show that fluids in the interstitial and intravascular compartments are combined. What do they combine to form?

The nurse must keep an accurate intake and output record to assess kidney efficiency. In order for the kidneys to remove waste, what is the least amount of hourly urine output the kidneys must produce to remove waste?

When reading the laboratory report of a patient with excessive diarrhea, the nurse notes that the pH is 7.10, and the PaCO? and the PaO? are normal. What should the nurse recognize as this patient's state from this information alone?

The lactating mother is counseled by the nurse to eat adequate amounts of meat and legumes. What level will this help to increase?