Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyPharmacological Therapies

A practical nurse is reviewing morning laboratory results before administering a scheduled dose of oral furosemide to a client. The client's serum potassium level is reported as 2.8 mEq/L. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. A
    Verify the client's identity using two identifiers and proceed with administering the medication.
  2. B
    Administer the furosemide as prescribed and document the laboratory result in the client's record.
  3. Withhold the furosemide and report the potassium level to the registered nurse immediately.Answer
  4. D
    Administer half of the prescribed furosemide dose to minimize further potassium loss.

Answer

The correct action is to withhold the furosemide and report the potassium level to the registered nurse immediately.
Furosemide is a potassium-wasting loop diuretic. A serum potassium level of 2.8 mEq/L represents significant hypokalemia, as the normal range is typically 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L. Administering furosemide would further deplete the client's potassium levels, placing the client at high risk for lethal cardiac dysrhythmias. The practical nurse is acting safely and within their scope of practice by recognizing the dangerous interaction, withholding the medication, and immediately escalating the critical finding to the registered nurse.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's laboratory result.
The serum potassium level is 2.8 mEq/L, which indicates significant hypokalemia (normal range is typically 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L).
Identifying abnormal laboratory values is required before safely administering medications that can affect fluid and electrolyte balance.
2
Evaluate the scheduled medication against the lab finding.
Furosemide is a loop diuretic that causes the kidneys to excrete potassium, which would worsen the client's already low potassium level.
Understanding the pharmacological mechanism of the drug highlights the critical risk of administering it to this specific client.
3
Determine the appropriate nursing intervention within the practical nurse scope of practice.
The practical nurse must withhold the contraindicated medication and escalate the critical finding to the registered nurse.
The practical nurse is responsible for protecting the client from harm and reporting critical data that requires a change in the medical plan of care.

Key Concept

Pre-administration Assessment and Withholding Criteria for Diuretics
Rate this question

Topics

Pharmacological Therapies

More questions from this topic