A nurse cares for a client who is recovering from a parathyroidectomy. When taking the client's blood pressure, the nurse notes that the client's hand has gone into flexion contractions
Which laboratory result does the nurse correlate with this condition?
a.
Serum potassium: 2.9 mEq/L
b.
Serum magnesium: 1.7 mEq/L
c.
Serum sodium: 122 mEq/L
d.
Serum calcium: 6.9 mg/dL
ANS: D
Hypocalcemia destabilizes excitable membranes and can lead to muscle twitches, spasms, and tetany. This effect of hypocalcemia is enhanced in the presence of tissue hypoxia. The flexion contractions (Trousseau's sign) that occur during blood pressure measurement are indicative of hypocalcemia, not the other electrolyte imbalances, which include hypokalemia, hyponatremia, and hypomagnesemia.
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