Editing Nursing Skills and Procedures – RN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 11==
A client with a serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L has an order for potassium chloride 40 mEq. Which nursing action is appropriate?
# Administer the potassium by slow intravenous push over five minutes.
# Dilute the potassium and infuse it by electronic infusion pump with cardiac monitoring.
# Add the potassium to the existing bag of intravenous fluid at the bedside and increase the rate.
# Hold the dose and request an oral formulation because intravenous potassium is contraindicated.

'''Answer:''' 2 (B). Dilute the potassium and infuse it by electronic infusion pump with cardiac monitoring.

''Rationale:'' Intravenous potassium is never given by push or bolus at any rate; it causes cardiac arrest. It is always diluted, administered by pump within institutional concentration and rate limits, and accompanied by monitoring of the site, the cardiac rhythm, and urine output, since potassium is renally excreted. Option 3 risks a layered, concentrated dose and is outside safe practice. Option 4 is incorrect, because intravenous replacement is appropriate for significant hypokalemia; the nurse should also assess the magnesium level, since hypomagnesemia makes hypokalemia refractory to replacement.