A Review of the Lab Results
The standard sodium level in the body should range from 136 to 145 millimoles or milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). The electrolyte panel results on Nam’s blood sample indicate that her body is in the lower end of the range at 136 mEq/L. This figure means that she is at the risk of hyponatremia, a condition in which patients have low sodium content in the blood (Treas et al., 2018). It might be necessary to ask the patient whether she is passing more urine than usual, as this is often a common cause of hyponatremia.
The results show that Nam’s blood has a 3.0 mEq/L potassium level, which is slightly lower than the normal range of 3.6 to 5.2 136 mEq/L. She might need close monitoring because a reducing potassium level becomes life-threatening if it reaches 2.5 136 mEq/L or less (Treas et al., 2018). Asking the patient whether she has experienced vomiting or diarrhea might be necessary, as this is among the common causes of low potassium in the body.
Besides, the electrolyte panel results show that the patient’s blood chloride is 96 mEq/L, a figure that is slightly lower than usual, as the value should be between 97 and 107 mEq/L. Imbalances in blood chloride levels indicate inefficiencies in metabolic processes (Treas et al., 2018). It is necessary to inquire about the patients’ feelings of dizziness since it is a common manifestation of low chloride. She could also be experiencing constipation or other problems associated with digestion.
Nam’s bicarbonate level is 24 mEq/L, which is within the normal range of 23 to 30 mEq/L expected in adults. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test is similarly within the normal range of 7 to 20 mg/dL, as it is 18 mg/dL. Her blood creatinine level is 0.8 mg/dL, which is within the normal range, although at the lower end (Treas et al., 2018). A declining or low creatinine is a sign of reduced muscle mass due to aging or because of muscular dystrophy. It could also mean the patient is at the risk of severe liver disease or a result of eating low protein foods consistently (Treas et al., 2018). An appropriate question would be whether she feels fatigued even when she has not been working.
A Review of the Medications
Nam’s condition could be a result of her current medications, as it is apparent that she is losing critical body fluids and electrolytes through excessive urination. A review of the drugs to determine whether any of them has a diuretic effect is critical. Such medicines tend to promote increased production and passage of urine. Apparently, the patient is using Lisinopril 20 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg, which are both diuretic drugs. Hence, Nam’s condition could be entirely a result of these medications. She is losing much of her body’s essential electrolytes, particularly sodium, potassium, and chloride, through excessive urination.
Appropriate Advice
Based on the assessment of Nam’s condition, it might be necessary to review her prescriptions. It could be essential to change the timing for the diuretic drugs and start taking them before going to sleep. That could help in controlling the patient’s passage of urine. Besides, it would be advisable for her to focus on eating a balanced diet supplemented with enough roughage to promote her body’s metabolic processes. In essence, she needs to feed in energy-giving foods to boost her declining muscle mass. However, as is usually the case with all patients, Nam must seek professional medical advice if she experiences any unusual symptoms.
Reference
Treas, L. S., Wilkinson, J. M., Barnett, K. L., & Smith, M. H. (2018). Basic nursing: Thinking, doing, and caring (2nd Ed.). F. A. Davis Company.