Final answer:
The nurse should expect an increased pH and increased bicarbonate levels in a patient with metabolic alkalosis. No direct answer was provided among the choices, and typically, potassium levels tend to decrease, not increase, with metabolic alkalosis. The answer is not provided among options.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse reviewing the laboratory results of an adult client with metabolic alkalosis should expect certain characteristic findings in the lab tests. Metabolic alkalosis is defined by a higher-than-normal blood pH due to an excess of bicarbonate (HCO³⁻) in the blood. It is often accompanied by compensatory mechanisms that the body uses to try to correct the imbalance.
Option a) Decreased pH is incorrect as metabolic alkalosis is characterized by an increased pH. Option b) Decreased bicarbonate levels would be indicative of metabolic acidosis, not alkalosis. Option c) Increased chloride levels may be seen, but it is not the primary change expected. Option d) Increased potassium levels are typically not directly associated with metabolic alkalosis; instead, often there is a decrease in potassium levels due to shifting of potassium from the bloodstream into cells in exchange for hydrogen ions.
Therefore, the expected finding in a client with metabolic alkalosis would likely be hidden among the options since it is typically characterized by an increased pH and increased bicarbonate levels, which are not directly listed as options for the answer.
Hence, the answer is not provided among options.