A nurse reviews these laboratory values: digoxin level, 10 ng/mL; serum potassium, 6.2. The nurse notifies the health care provider and anticipates administration of which drug?
a. K+ supplements
b. Atropine
c. Epinephrine
d. Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind)
ANS: D
Therapeutic levels of digoxin are 0.5 to 0.8 ng/mL, therefore 10 ng/mL is a toxic level. The elevated potassium combined with the high digoxin levels puts the patient at risk for dysrhythmias. Digibind should be administered to reduce the levels of digoxin in the blood.
Potassium supplements are not indicated.
Atropine is used for muscarinic poisoning, and epinephrine is indicated for anaphylaxis.
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