Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 82%
Simulated
A nurse is assessing a client who has hypermagnesemia. Which of the following medications should the nurse prepare to administer?
Correct answer
C
Rationale
The correct answer is C: Calcium gluconate. In hypermagnesemia, there is an excess of magnesium in the blood, leading to muscle weakness, hypotension, and potentially cardiac arrest. Calcium gluconate is the antidote for magnesium toxicity as it competes with magnesium for binding sites, reversing the effects of hypermagnesemia. Flumazenil (A) is used to reverse benzodiazepine overdose, acetylcysteine (B) for acetaminophen overdose, and protamine sulfate (D) for heparin overdose. In summary, only calcium gluconate directly addresses the underlying issue of hypermagnesemia by antagonizing the effects of excess magnesium.