Chapter 18

Question 1

What percentage of an adult’s body weight consists of water?
a. 10% to 20%
b. 30% to 40%
c. 50% to 60%
d. 70% to 80%

Answer 1

c. 50% to 60%

Question 2

When administering intravenous (IV) fluids, the nurse ensures that the IV fluids are infusing
as ordered to prevent dehydration in an adult. When could dehydration become lethal?
a. If the patient loses 5% of body fluid
b. If the patient loses 10% of body fluid
c. If the patient loses 15% of body fluid
d. If the patient loses 20% of body fluid

Answer 2

d. If the patient loses 20% of body fluid

Question 3

The nurse uses a diagram to show that fluids in the interstitial and intravascular
compartments are combined. What do they combine to form?
a. Intercellular compartment
b. Circulating compartment
c. Vertical compartment
d. Extracellular compartment

Answer 3

d. Extracellular compartment

Question 4

The nurse encourages a patient who has been vomiting to drink fluids because the body fluid lost daily must match the amount of fluid taken in to maintain homeostasis. What is the recommended daily amount of fluid for an adult?
a. 1000 mL
b. 1500 mL
c. 2050 mL
d. 2500 mL

Answer 4

d. 2500 mL

Question 5

The nurse must keep an accurate intake and output record to assess kidney efficiency. In
order for the kidneys to remove waste, what is the least amount of hourly urine output the
kidneys must produce to remove waste?
a. 10 mL
b. 20 mL
c. 30 mL
d. 40 mL

Answer 5

c. 30 mL

Question 6

The nurse weighs a patient at the same time of day with the same scale and same clothing.
What is this a simple and accurate method of determining?
a. An accurate weight
b. Water balance
c. Adequate nutrition
d. Urinary output

Answer 6

b. Water balance

Question 7

When a patient takes substances into the body, they first enter the extracellular
compartment. What must the substances enter to carry out their function?
a. Horizontal compartment
b. Intracellular compartment
c. Compartmental
d. Vertical compartment

Answer 7

b. Intracellular compartment

Question 8

What is the method by which inhaled oxygen is moved into the intravascular compartment
called?
a. Active transport
b. Oxygenation
c. Passive transport
d. Mass movement

Answer 8

c. Passive transport

Question 9

The nurse explains to a patient that the drug Lasix reduces edema by drawing water from the interstitial space into the intravascular space. What is this process called? (Consider using furosemide instead of Lasix like NCLEX)
a. Diffusion
b. Filtration
c. Osmosis
d. Homeostasis

Answer 9

c. Osmosis

Question 10

What does actively transporting electrolytes from an area of higher concentration to an area
of lower concentration require?
a. Hydrostatic pressure
b. Osmotic pressure
c. Blood pressure
d. Pulse pressure

Answer 10

a. Hydrostatic pressure

Question 11

Electrolytes are not measured by weight; their chemical activity is expressed in
milliequivalents. What does 1 mEq of potassium have the same combining power as?
a. 1 mEq of nitrogen
b. 1 mEq of oxygen
c. 1 mEq of hydrogen
d. 1 mEq of magnesium

Answer 11

c. 1 mEq of hydrogen

Question 12

Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the body. The location of electrolytes is
important for maintaining homeostasis. Sodium is the major electrolyte in which fluid
compartment?
a. Intracellular
b. Intravascular
c. Extracellular
d. Interstitial

Answer 12

c. Extracellular

Question 13

The lactating mother is counseled by the nurse to eat adequate amounts of meat and
legumes. What level will this help to increase?
a. Potassium
b. Chloride
c. Magnesium
d. Phosphorus

Answer 13

d. Phosphorus

Question 14

A nurse assesses an edematous cardiac patient. The nurse is aware that this condition is a
result of retained fluid. What is the patient considered to be?
a. Hyponatremic
b. Hypokalemic
c. Hypernatremic
d. Hypercalcemic

Answer 14

c. Hypernatremic

Question 15

What is the nurse closely assessing for in a patient with hypokalemia?
a. Systemic edema
b. Cardiac complications
c. Muscle cramping
d. Impaired kidney function

Answer 15

b. Cardiac complications

Question 16

The nurse modifies the care plan for the immobilized patient after assessing a calcium level
of 6.2 mEq/L. What nursing assessment should the nurse include when modifying this care
plan?
a. Osteoporosis
b. Tooth loss
c. Renal calculi
d. Contractures

Answer 16

c. Renal calculi

Question 17

Homeostasis of the hydrogen ion concentration in body fluids depends on the ratio of
carbonic acid to bicarbonate in the extracellular fluid. What is this ratio?
a. 1:5
b. 1:10
c. 1:15
d. 1:20

Answer 17

d. 1:20

Question 18

When reading the laboratory report of a patient with excessive diarrhea, the nurse notes that
the pH is 7.10, and the PaCO2 and the PaO2 are normal. What should the nurse recognize as
this patient’s state from this information alone?
a. Respiratory acidosis
b. Metabolic acidosis
c. Respiratory alkalosis
d. Metabolic alkalosis

Answer 18

b. Metabolic acidosis

Question 19

What should the nurse expect when assessing a patient with respiratory alkalosis?
a. Slow respirations
b. Muscle weakness
c. Strong, even heart rate
d. Flushed face

Answer 19

b. Muscle weakness

Question 20

Three body systems work at different speeds to keep the pH in the narrow range of normal.
What is the order of effectiveness for these three systems?
a. Blood buffers, kidneys, and lungs
b. Kidneys, lungs, and blood buffers
c. Blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys
d. Lungs, kidneys, and blood buffers

Answer 20

c. Blood buffers, lungs, and kidneys

Question 21

A patient admitted in a state of extreme anxiety has vital signs of T 98.6°F (37°C), P 81, BP
130/86, R 32. What will result if this hyperventilation continues?
a. Metabolic acidosis
b. Metabolic alkalosis
c. Respiratory acidosis
d. Respiratory alkalosis

Answer 21

d. Respiratory alkalosis

Question 22

A patient began vomiting and continued to do so for several hours. What is the result of this
loss of stomach contents?
a. Metabolic acidosis
b. Metabolic alkalosis
c. Respiratory acidosis
d. Respiratory alkalosis

Answer 22

b. Metabolic alkalosis

Question 23

What should the nurse focus on when creating a nursing care plan for a patient with
metabolic acidosis?
a. Frequent periods of ambulation
b. Increasing fluid intake
c. Decreasing fluid intake
d. Deep-breathing exercises

Answer 23

d. Deep-breathing exercises

Question 24

The nurse is educating a patient regarding the need to avoid foods high in potassium. What
food choices led the nurse to conclude that teaching was not effective?
a. Apples and green beans
b. Kiwis and onions
c. Apricots and asparagus
d. Grapes and lima beans

Answer 24

c. Apricots and asparagus