Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 69%
Simulated
A client is admitted to the emergency department with a magnesium level of 1.2 mg/dL. The nurse is aware that a likely cause of the value is which of the following:
Correct answer
A
Rationale
Alcoholism is a common cause of hypomagnesemia due to poor dietary intake, increased renal excretion, and gastrointestinal losses. Dehydration typically elevates magnesium levels, kidney failure causes hypermagnesemia, and excessive magnesium intake leads to hypermagnesemia.