Question

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is performed before a client is to have a cardiac catheterization, and hypokalemia is suspected. What does the nurse expect the primary healthcare provider to prescribe to confirm the presence of hypokalemia?

Answer 1

To confirm hypokalemia, a condition of low potassium levels suspected from an ECG, the primary healthcare provider would prescribe a blood test to measure the serum potassium level. While an ECG can show signs suggestive of hypokalemia, definitive diagnosis requires a laboratory test.

Step-by-step explanation:

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a diagnostic tool used to record the electrical activity of the heart. When a patient is suspected of having hypokalemia, which is a low potassium level in the blood, an ECG may show characteristic changes. However, to confirm the presence of hypokalemia, the primary healthcare provider would likely prescribe a blood test to measure the potassium level directly.Hypokalemia can cause notable changes in an ECG, including flattened T waves, the presence of U waves, and potentially dangerous heart rhythms. However, an ECG alone cannot provide a definitive diagnosis of hypokalemia. Therefore, a serum potassium test is the standard method for confirming potassium levels in the blood.In an emergency setting where hypokalemia is strongly suspected or evident from an ECG, a physician might order intravenous (IV) supplementation with potassium chloride (KCl) to resolve the condition promptly. This is a treatment response, and the dosage and concentration, such as a 0.5% KCl solution, would be determined based on the severity of the patient's electrolyte imbalance and clinical presentation.