A 65-year-old patient is admitted with a 3-day history of severe vomiting and diarrhea. The patient has been taking furosemide 40 mg daily for heart failure. On assessment, the nurse notes muscle weakness, hypoactive bowel sounds, and a weak, irregular pulse. Which electrolyte imbalance does the nurse suspect?
- AHyperkalemia
- BHypokalemiaKeyed by the writer
- CHyponatremia
- DHypercalcemia
What the audit caught
Rationale for Option B incorrectly categorizes a 'weak pulse' as a 'cardiac dysrhythmia.' A weak pulse indicates decreased stroke volume or contractility (or hypovolemia), whereas a dysrhythmia refers specifically to rhythm irregularity. While hypokalemia causes both decreased contractility and dysrhythmias, the rationale conflates distinct clinical assessment findings.