A client is brought to the emergency department (ED) after passing out in a local department store. The client has been fasting and has ketones in the urine. Which acid-base imbalance would the nurse expect to assess in this client?
A) Metabolic acidosis
B) Respiratory alkalosis
C) Metabolic alkalosis
D) Respiratory acidosis
Answer: A
A client who is fasting is at risk for development of metabolic acidosis. The body recognizes fasting as starvation and begins to metabolize its own proteins into ketones, which are metabolic acids. Starvation would not result in respiratory acidosis or alkalosis or in metabolic alkalosis.
You might also like to view...
Group therapy, which assists in relieving emotional distress and encourages psychological and behavioral changes, was developed following World War II as a result of a:
a. Study of the benefits of group therapy b. Decreasing number of mental health facilities c. Shortage of psychiatrists d. Grant from the federal government
A child with a day-old fever is admitted to a health care facility. Which of the following baths will be most appropriate for the client?
A) Tub bath B) Medicated bath C) Dry bath D) Towel bath
Nurses must always function with knowledge of the beneficence principle
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Determining nitrogen balance in the clinical setting can be very valuable. To determine a client's state of nitrogen balance, a 24-hour urinary urea nitrogen collection is done. What do you also need to do?
A) Calculate the client's total calorie intake for that same day. B) Add a coefficient of 4 to that number to account for nitrogen lost in feces, hair, nails, and skin. C) Collect a 24-hour stool specimen on that same day to determine fecal nitrogen losses. D) Be sure that client takes nothing by mouth on the day of the urine collection.