Practice Question
The nurse is caring for a patient with a magnesium level of 3.2 mEq/L? Which assessment finding would the nurse expect to see?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Flaccid muscle tone
Rationale:
🔹 Hypermagnesemia (Mg 3.2 mEq/L) depresses the central nervous system and neuromuscular junction. Instead of stimulating the muscles, excess magnesium reduces excitability, which leads to muscle weakness and hyporeflexia.
🔹 As levels rise above normal, patients may lose deep tendon reflexes and exhibit flaccid muscle tone. This is in contrast to hypomagnesemia, which causes twitching, tetany, and hand contractions (Chvostek’s/Trousseau’s signs).
🔹 The nurse would also monitor for additional complications such as bradycardia, hypotension, and respiratory depression, since magnesium acts as a smooth muscle relaxant.
🔹 Flaccid muscle tone is the hallmark neuromuscular effect of high magnesium and indicates the need for close monitoring and possible interventions (such as stopping magnesium-containing infusions and preparing to administer calcium gluconate as an antidote).
Want to practice more questions like this?
This question is from NUR 151 which contains 30 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
A patient is admitted to the emergency department for vomiting and diarrhea that has lasted 4 days. The patient's current weight is 154 pounds. The health care provider has diagnosed the patient with a viral infection. The nurse has been monitoring intravenous fluids and urine output. Which urinary output indicates the efforts to rehydrate this patient have been successful?
Answer Choices:
The nurse is caring for an older adult patient who is receiving intravenous fluids at 150 mL/hr. Upon assessment, the nurse notes crackles, shortness of breath, and jugular vein distention. Based on this data, which complication of IV fluid therapy does the nurse anticipate?
Answer Choices:
The nurse is giving Magnesium Sulfate 4 GM in 50 mL IVPB for a low magnesium level. The infusion runs over 4 hours. How many mL/hr will this run? Input only numbers, round to the tenth if applicable.
Answer Choices:
The nurse is assessing a patient with a magnesium level of 1.2 mg/dL and expects which finding related to the lab value?
Answer Choices:
A nurse in a provider's office is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who takes furosemide for hypertension. The nurse notes that the client's potassium level is 3.1 mEq/L. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following complications?
Answer Choices:
Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI MedSurg
- Answer Choices: 4