Dumb question....but help please?

[Coolbean12]

Hi Everyone,

This is probably a really dumb question but I think my brain is probably just fried after all of my studying.. I'm hoping someone would be able to clarify this for me so that I do not spend so much time on this one question and hopefully I can move on and not swell on this too much... The question is as follows:

Which of the following statements if made by the client, best indicates the client understands teaching to prevent HYPOKALEMIA:

1. "I should take the potassium supplements on an empty stomach" (which we know is not true because they cause irritation and should be taken with meals)

2. "I should crush the potassium tablets" (No, it may affect the potency)

3."I should eat more bananas as well as take the potassium supplements" (Ok, so I am stumped between this one and the next, but according to kaplan the next answer is the correct one. )

4." I should avoid salt substitutes while taking potassium the potassium supplement" (I understand that salt substitutes usually raise potassium levels... but the question is asking how to prevent hypokalemia? no?)

The kaplan rationale for option 3 is as follows: Bananas are a good source of potassium; increasing natural intake while on a potassium supplement may result in hyperkalemia

The Rationale for 4) The CORRECT answer is as follows: many salt substitutes are potassium-based, which combined with the prescribed potassium supplement may result in hyperkalemia....

I'm sorry if I made my question confusing but I am just confused because is option 4 just a BETTER choice or is the only right one? If someone could just clarify this I would really appreciate it.. Sometimes I like Kaplans rationales but sometimes they suck, I'm sure this is a very simple thing that I have just had a "brain fart" on.. but any help would be greatly appreciated.. Thank you!!

[euphoria02]

hi there :) hmmmm option number 3 cause may seem like an answer to PREVENTION question. However, I think option number 3 is not technically safe for a patient. If the client is going to take bananas with salt substitute then Hyperkalemia which is a fatal condition can happen ( as pointed out in the rationale)...Option number 4 is the only answer which wont do your patient any harm.

Or maybe they were really asking for Prevention of HYPERKALEMIA and they just got typographical error.

[dumb]

This is a dumb answer.... But dun stress and over analyze em questions....:)

[dontra07]

Yeah! option 4 is correct because the patient really understand that taking salt sustitute while taking potassium supplements will cause heperkalemia, option 3 will be corrrect if the patient say that she will limit eating bananas while taking potassium supplements. So, I'll go for option 4, kaplan is right... Goodluck!!!

[Coolbean12]

Thanks everyone :)

[caliotter3]

This is a poorly worded question and probably, as suggested, involves a typo. I would move on to the next question.

[HappyMeNow]

My understanding is that option 4 addresses safety in regards to potassium.

The theme of NCLEX is to make sure that you're going to be a safe nurse. So if option 4 can prevent throwing your pt into heart trouble, then it's the right answer!

I hope that helps. Good luck!

[FocusRN]

It is very poorly worded all around, but of course 4 would be correct. In nursing we always have to look out for fixing one problem and causing another. If we are putting a hypoKALEMIC pt on K+ supplements we don't want them to introduce something else to increase the K+ level because it is not being measured and we could through them into HYPERkalemia.

[angie928]

Yea that Question is not worded fairly at ALL!

[Coolbean12]

Thanks again everyone, I just wanted to make sure I was not crazy and it was at least worded weird....you know when you study so much and everything starts to mess together? Well that is beginning to happen to me... I really appreciate all of your help to try to make sense of that for me :)