A 62-year-old woman with high blood pressure is to begin long-term treatment with a thiazide diuretic that she thinks she will need to take for some time. What should the nurse expect to happen to her potassium and calcium levels?
A)
Her potassium and calcium levels will not change.
B)
Her potassium and calcium levels will both go down.
C)
Her potassium level will drop, but her calcium level may rise.
D)
Her potassium level will rise, but her calcium level may drop.
Ans:
C
Feedback:
Thiazide diuretics increase the loss of potassium in urine. Because calcium is actively reabsorbed in the distal convoluted tubule, it is likely that her calcium level will go up, especially if she takes it for a long time.
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