PAEA Surgery End Of Rotation (EOR) Practice Exam

How much will 10 mEq of potassium raise a patient's potassium level?

1. 0.2 points

2. 0.1 points

3. 0.5 points

4. 1 point

The correct answer is: 0.1 points

To understand how much 10 mEq of potassium will raise a patient's potassium level, it's important to consider the general guideline that 1 mEq of potassium typically increases serum potassium levels by approximately 0.1 mEq/L in a healthy adult. Therefore, if we take 10 mEq of potassium, this would roughly equate to a total increase in potassium levels of about 1.0 mEq/L. However, depending on the starting levels of potassium and the patient's overall health status, the actual increase could be slightly different. In clinical practice, you might see variations based on individual patient conditions such as renal function, volume status, and the presence of conditions like acidosis or alkalosis, which may influence the distribution of potassium. Thus, if we look at the choices provided, while 10 mEq of potassium is often estimated to increase serum potassium levels by about 1.0 mEq/L, the most consistent value that is used in typical estimates, especially when taking into account the variability among patients, aligns with an increase around 0.1 points for every mEq. Therefore, after considering the computations and practical applications of potassium administration in clinical settings, the expected increase in serum potassium level from administering 10 mEq aligns