- What percentage of an adult’s body weight consists of water?
a. 10% to 20%
b. 30% to 40%
c. 50% to 60%
d. 70% to 80%
c. 50% to 60%
- When administering intravenous (IV) fluids, the nurse ensures that the IV fluids are infusing as ordered to prevent dehydration in an adult. When could dehydration become lethal?
a. If the patient loses 5% of body fluid
b. If the patient loses 10% of body fluid
c. If the patient loses 15% of body fluid
d. If the patient loses 20% of body fluid
d. If the patient loses 20% of body fluid
- The nurse uses a diagram to show that fluids in the interstitial and intravascular compartments are combined. What do they combine to form?
a. Intercellular compartment
b. Circulating compartment
c. Vertical compartment
d. Extracellular compartment
d. Extracellular compartment
- The nurse encourages a patient who has been vomiting to drink fluids because the body
fluid lost daily must match the amount of fluid taken in to maintain homeostasis. What is the recommended daily amount of fluid for an adult?
a. 1000 mL
b. 1500 mL
c. 2050 mL
d. 2500 mL
d. 2500 mL
- The nurse must keep an accurate intake and output record to assess kidney efficiency. In
order for the kidneys to remove waste, what is the least amount of hourly urine output the
kidneys must produce to remove waste?
a. 10 mL
b. 20 mL
c. 30 mL
d. 40 mL
c. 30 mL
- The nurse weighs a patient at the same time of day with the same scale and same clothing. What is this a simple and accurate method of determining?
a. An accurate weight
b. Water balance
c. Adequate nutrition
d. Urinary output
b. Water balance
- When a patient takes substances into the body, they first enter the extracellular compartment. What must the substances enter to carry out their function?
a. Horizontal compartment
b. Intracellular compartment
c. Compartmental
d. Vertical compartment
b. Intracellular compartment
- What is the method by which inhaled oxygen is moved into the intravascular compartment called?
a. Active transport
b. Oxygenation
c. Passive transport
d. Mass movement
c. Passive transport
- The nurse explains to a patient that the drug Lasix reduces edema by drawing water from
the interstitial space into the intravascular space. What is this process called? (Consider
using furosemide instead of Lasix like NCLEX)
a. Diffusion
b. Filtration
c. Osmosis
d. Homeostasis
c. Osmosis
- What does actively transporting electrolytes from an area of higher concentration to an area
of lower concentration require?
a. Hydrostatic pressure
b. Osmotic pressure
c. Blood pressure
d. Pulse pressure
a. Hydrostatic pressure
- Electrolytes are not measured by weight; their chemical activity is expressed in milliequivalents. What does 1 mEq of potassium have the same combining power as?
a. 1 mEq of nitrogen
b. 1 mEq of oxygen
c. 1 mEq of hydrogen
d. 1 mEq of magnesium
c. 1 mEq of hydrogen
- Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the body. The location of electrolytes is important for maintaining homeostasis. Sodium is the major electrolyte in which fluid compartment?
a. Intracellular
b. Intravascular
c. Extracellular
d. Interstitial
c. Extracellular
- The lactating mother is counseled by the nurse to eat adequate amounts of meat and legumes. What level will this help to increase?
a. Potassium
b. Chloride
c. Magnesium
d. Phosphorus
d. Phosphorus
- A nurse assesses an edematous cardiac patient. The nurse is aware that this condition is
a result of retained fluid. What is the patient considered to be?
a. Hyponatremic
b. Hypokalemic
c. Hypernatremic
d. Hypercalcemic
c. Hypernatremic
- What is the nurse closely assessing for in a patient with hypokalemia?
a. Systemic edema
b. Cardiac complications
c. Muscle cramping
d. Impaired kidney function
b. Cardiac complications
- The nurse modifies the care plan for the immobilized patient after assessing a calcium level of 6.2 mEq/L. What nursing assessment should the nurse include when modifying this care plan?
a. Osteoporosis
b. Tooth loss
c. Renal calculi
d. Contractures
c. Renal calculi
- Homeostasis of the hydrogen ion concentration in body fluids depends on the ratio of carbonic acid to bicarbonate in the extracellular fluid. What is this ratio?
a. 1:5
b. 1:10
c. 1:15
d. 1:20
d. 1:20
- When reading the laboratory report of a patient with excessive diarrhea, the nurse notes that
the pH is 7.10, and the PaCO2 and the PaO2 are normal. What should the nurse recognize as
this patient’s state from this information alone?
a. Respiratory acidosis
b. Metabolic acidosis
c. Respiratory alkalosis
d. Metabolic alkalosis
b. Metabolic acidosis
- What should the nurse expect when assessing a patient with respiratory alkalosis?
a. Slow respirations
b. Muscle weakness
c. Strong, even heart rate
d. Flushed face
b. Muscle weakness
- Three body systems work at different speeds to keep the pH in the narrow range of normal. What is the order of effectiveness for these three systems?
a. Blood buffers, kidneys, and lungs
b. Kidneys, lungs, and blood buffers
c. Blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys
d. Lungs, kidneys, and blood buffers
c. Blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys
- A patient admitted in a state of extreme anxiety has vital signs of T 98.6°F (37°C), P 81, BP 130/86, R 32. What will result if this hyperventilation continues?
a. Metabolic acidosis
b. Metabolic alkalosis
c. Respiratory acidosis
d. Respiratory alkalosis
d. Respiratory alkalosis
- A patient began vomiting and continued to do so for several hours. What is the result of this
loss of stomach contents?
a. Metabolic acidosis
b. Metabolic alkalosis
c. Respiratory acidosis
d. Respiratory alkalosis
b. Metabolic alkalosis
- What should the nurse focus on when creating a nursing care plan for a patient with metabolic acidosis?
a. Frequent periods of ambulation
b. Increasing fluid intake
c. Decreasing fluid intake
d. Deep-breathing exercises
d. Deep-breathing exercises
- The nurse is educating a patient regarding the need to avoid foods high in potassium. What food choices led the nurse to conclude that teaching was not effective?
a. Apples and green beans
b. Kiwis and onions
c. Apricots and asparagus
d. Grapes and lima beans
c. Apricots and asparagus
