The lab calls the nurse and reports an adult patient’s serum calcium of 5.9 mg/dL and serum potassium of 6.2 mEq/dL. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?

Notifies the physician about the patient’s hypocalcemia. The normal range for serum calcium is 8.5-10.2 mg/dL. The value of 5.9 mg/dL is low and indicates hypocalcemia. In an asymptomatic patient, the test should be repeated, correcting for albumin levels or by obtaining ionized calcium level. Patients with low or high albumin need to have the total level of calcium corrected. Since calcium binds to albumin, lower levels of albumin erroneously lower the serum calcium level (ionized calcium—the form used by the body—remains the same). A calcium value of 5.9 mg/dL is very low, even with modest hypoalbuminemia, so the physician should be notified. The normal range of potassium is 3.5-5 mEq/dL, so 6.2 mEq/dL is indicative of hyperkalemia, not hypokalemia.

The lab calls the nurse and reports an adult patient’s seru...

Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 3

Topics: Acid-Base Communication & Documentation Fluid and Electrolytes Health Care Quality

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