An elderly patient comes into the clinic with the complaint of watery diarrhea for several days with abdominal and muscle cramping. The nurse realizes that this patient is demonstrating which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms presented by the patient suggest hyponatremia, which is an electrolyte imbalance characterized by low sodium levels in the blood. Diarrhea can cause fluid and electrolyte losses, leading to hyponatremia, which can manifest as muscle cramping, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea. Hypernatremia refers to excess sodium levels in the blood, fluid volume excess is an imbalance characterized by excessive fluid accumulation in the body, and hyperkalemia refers to high potassium levels in the blood, none of which are indicated by the patient's symptoms.

An Elderly Patient Comes into the Clinic with the Complaint