Question

A 75-year-old client is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and chronic congestive heart failure. The health care provider orders a combination of digoxin and diuretics to treat the client’s diseases. Recent laboratory results indicate that the client’s potassium level is 2 mEq/L. This client is at risk for which problem?

Answer 1

Answer:

Digoxin toxicity

Explanation:

The dose of digoxin should be adjusted individually according to age, body weight and renal function. If the dose is higher than indicated for that patient, he may have digoxin poisoning, presenting high potassium levels, similar to what is happening to the patient exposed in the question.

Cardiac arrest from asystole or ventricular fibrillation caused by digoxin toxicity is usually fatal. Overdosage of this medicine may result in hyperkalemia, which is a condition characterized by very high potassium levels in the blood due to sodium and potassium pump inhibition.