NHM UP Staff Nurse-2023 shift 1st
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy
Serum sodium concentration greater than 145 meq/l is called _______.
Appeared in: NHM UP Staff Nurse-2023 shift 1st
Explanation
- Hypernatraemia is the medical term for an elevated serum sodium level, specifically a concentration greater than 145 mEq/L.
- Sodium is the most abundant cation in the extracellular fluid and plays a crucial role in maintaining osmotic pressure, water balance, and nerve function.
- The condition usually reflects a deficit of total body water relative to total body sodium, which can be caused by water loss (e.g., from diarrhea, excessive sweating, or diabetes insipidus) or, less commonly, excessive sodium gain.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option B: This refers to elevated levels of prolactin, a hormone primarily responsible for lactation (milk production), not the electrolyte sodium.
- Option C: This term describes an elevated serum potassium level (typically greater than 5.0-5.5 mEq/L), not sodium. The root 'kal' refers to potassium (from Latin 'kalium').
- Option D: This refers to an elevated serum calcium level (typically total calcium greater than 10.5 mg/dL), not sodium. The root 'calc' refers to calcium.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definition of electrolyte imbalances, specifically hypernatraemia as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses must recognize the signs of hypernatraemia (e.g., intense thirst, confusion, lethargy, seizures) and report critical values immediately, as it can cause significant neurological damage due to brain cell shrinkage.
- Management involves careful rehydration. A key nursing intervention is monitoring the rate of fluid correction to prevent cerebral edema, a potentially fatal complication of overly rapid correction.
- What if? If the patient's sodium was 125 mEq/L instead of over 145 mEq/L, the condition would be hyponatraemia. The treatment would likely involve fluid restriction or, in severe cases, administration of hypertonic saline—often the opposite of treatment for hypernatraemia.
How to Approach the Question
- First, analyze the question stem to identify the core concept. The question asks for the specific medical term for a 'serum sodium concentration greater than 145 meq/l'.
- Break down the medical terms in the options into their roots. 'Hyper-' means 'high' or 'elevated'. '-emia' refers to a substance in the blood.
- Connect the root word for the substance to the one mentioned in the stem. 'Natr-' refers to sodium (from Latin 'natrium'). 'Kala-' refers to potassium (from Latin 'kalium'). 'Calc-' refers to calcium. 'Prolactin-' refers to the hormone prolactin.
- Combine the prefix and root: 'Hyper-' + 'natr-' + '-emia' directly translates to 'high sodium in the blood'.
- Evaluate this against the given value (> 145 mEq/L), which is the standard cutoff for hypernatraemia, confirming it as the correct answer.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Definition of electrolyte imbalances, specifically hypernatraemia.
- Stem keywords: Serum sodium concentration, greater than 145 meq/l
- Lead-in keywords: is called
- Clinical cues: Serum sodium > 145 mEq/L is the defining value for hypernatraemia.
Question ID
QxT2kY3QIXDRzSHEHkcI_B
Reference Book
E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 534-536
E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 378-380
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