Final answer:
The most critical nursing intervention for a patient with hypercalcemia, specifically related to multiple myeloma, is to encourage the intake of fluids, which aids in the renal excretion of excess calcium and helps maintain calcium homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Most Important Nursing Intervention for a Patient with Hypercalcemia:
For a patient with hypercalcemia, particularly one with multiple myeloma, the most important nursing intervention is to encourage fluids intake. This helps in promoting renal excretion of excess calcium and reducing the risk of kidney stones.
Why Encouraging Fluids is Crucial:
Hypercalcemia can cause the nervous system to become underactive, leading to issues such as lethargy, sluggish reflexes, and constipation. Ensuring a high fluid intake helps maintain blood volume and pressure, providing better filtration by the kidneys and thus facilitating the excretion of excess calcium. The recommendation is to drink enough water to produce 2 to 2.5 liters of urine per day. This is part of the preventive strategies to manage hypercalcemia, and it is more significant than dietary restrictions like low sodium or omission of alcohol, as these do not directly aid in reducing serum calcium levels as effectively.
Understanding Calcium Homeostasis:
Maintaining proper calcium homeostasis is essential for many body functions. When serum calcium reduces, mechanisms work to mobilize calcium from bones into the blood. Therefore, preventing high serum calcium levels helps avoid complications such as neurological and musculoskeletal issues.