Final answer:
Calcium citrate is used to treat hypocalcemia, not hypoglycemia. The correct therapeutic response to this medication would be an improved level of consciousness. Other choices are not correlated with calcium citrate's mechanism of action.
Step-by-step explanation:
When evaluating a therapeutic response to calcium citrate in a client with hypoglycemia, it is important to recognize that hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia are different conditions and are managed with different interventions. Calcium citrate is used to treat hypocalcemia (abnormally low blood levels of calcium), not hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). A therapeutic response to calcium citrate would be indicated by an improvement in symptoms related to hypocalcemia, such as an improved level of consciousness or muscle function. The statement that 'In the presence of decreased blood glucose levels, insulin is produced by the parathyroid to increase calcium absorption' is incorrect. The parathyroid glands secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH) when there is low blood calcium, which acts to raise calcium levels, but it does not affect blood glucose levels directly. In a hypoglycemic state, treatments focus on raising blood glucose levels, not calcium levels, unless the patient also has hypocalcemia. Therefore, the correct answer indicating a therapeutic response to the administration of calcium citrate in a patient with hypocalcemia would be 'c) Improved level of consciousness', as this signifies that the central nervous system is benefiting from the increase in calcium levels.