Question

A 69-year old male with a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery and congestive heart failure is admitted to the telemetry unit with severe diarrhea on admission. His serum potassium level is low and he is dehydrated. He currently taking diuretics, how should the nurse expect to treat the patient's hypokalemia ?

Answer 1

The nurse should expect to treat the patient's hypokalemia through IV infusion of potassium chloride (KCl), with the concentration and rate determined by the patient's needs.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 69-year old male with a history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery and congestive heart failure is admitted to the telemetry unit with severe diarrhea. The presence of severe diarrhea likely contributed to the patient's hypokalemia (low serum potassium level) and dehydration, a situation complicated by his use of diuretics, which can also cause potassium loss. To treat the hypokalemia, the nurse can expect to administer potassium, often through an intravenous (IV) infusion of potassium chloride (KCl). The exact concentration and rate of administration will depend on the severity of the hypokalemia and the patient's overall condition, but an order for 100 mL of 0.5% KCl could be a common approach in this scenario.