Nam Nguyen has been prescribed to take the following medicines: Lisinopril, Hydrochlorothiazide, and Metformin. The following are the electrolyte panel results from a blood-drawn analysis he had done early in the day. Sodium 136 mEq/L, Potassium 3.0 mEq/L, chloride 96 mEQ/L, Bicarbonate 24 MEq/L, BUN 18mg/dL and Creatinine 0.8 mg/dL (Learning & Jones, 2020). Nam disclosed that he had a medical history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoarthritis, and tobacco abuse, making him susceptible to the illness. The assessment questions were based on the lab results to ask Nam would he had any recent vomiting or diarrhea. Besides, the nurses have to determine if he is experiencing any fatigue, numbness, muscle weakness, or an irregular heartbeat.
Moreover, Nam is taking Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg PO daily in the morning, which is a diuretic and may be contributing to his loss of Potassium. Diuretics trigger potassium loss and increase the risk of hypokalemia (Learning & Jones, 2020). Nam’s provider had advised a 1,800-kcal diabetic diet with no added salt in a previous visit; hence more review has to be made on Nam’s food diary to see what food changes he has made within the past visit period. Nam was advised to consume food rich in Potassium, such as bananas, oranges, apricots, figs, dates, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, dairy products, and meats ( Treas et al., 2018 ). Because of the recent diagnosis, there is a possibility Nam does not consume enough Potassium in his diet, causing his potassium levels to be slightly low. Potassium's average serum level is 3.5-5 mEq/L, and Nam's is 3.0 mEq/L. According to Treas et al. (2018), Potassium should come from one’s diet rather than from supplements. Nam is also taking Lisinopril, which can cause hyperkalemia (Learning & Jones, 2020). If Nam experiences fatigue, muscle weakness, nausea, and vomiting, he should return to the clinic for further testing.
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References
Learning & Jones (2020). 2020 Nurse's Drug Handbook (20th ed., p. 1368). Jones & Bartlett Learning Publishers, Inc.
Treas, L., Wilkinson, J., Barnett, K., & Smith, M. (2018). Davis Advantage for Basic Nursing: Thinking, Doing, and Caring (2nd ed., p. 1800). F.A. Davis Company. https://ambassadored.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780803675858
