Question

A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who is taking digoxin for heart failure. Which of the following results should the nurse report to the provider?

A) Serum potassium 4.5 mEq/L.
B) Serum sodium 138 mEq/L.
C) Serum creatinine 0.9 mg/dL.
D) Digoxin level 2.0 ng/mL.

Answer 1

The nurse should report the digoxin level of 2.0 ng/mL to the provider as it is at the high end of the therapeutic range and could indicate a risk for digoxin toxicity.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who is taking digoxin for heart failure. Among the options provided, the result that should be reported to the provider is D) Digoxin level 2.0 ng/mL. This is because the therapeutic range for digoxin is typically between 0.5 ng/mL and 2.0 ng/mL, and a level of 2.0 ng/mL is at the high end of the range and might indicate a risk for digoxin toxicity, especially if symptoms are present. In contrast, the serum potassium of 4.5 mEq/L is within the normal range (3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L), the serum sodium level of 138 mEq/L is within the normal range (135 to 145 mEq/L), and the serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dL is within the normal range for most individuals (approximately 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dL for males and 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL for females).