A 24-Year-Old Woman with a Medical History of Bronchial Asthma

question 88

Multiple Choice

A 24-year-old woman with a medical history of bronchial asthma comes to the office due to shortness of breath and wheezing for the past 2-3 days.  She developed a cold 4 days ago and is not feeling well.  The patient has a nebulizer at home and used multiple doses of albuterol with little response prior to arriving.  She takes no other medications.  The patient is diaphoretic and in moderate respiratory distress.  Respiratory examination shows bilateral wheezing, diffusely decreased breath sounds, and increased use of accessory muscles of respiration.  Laboratory results reveal a serum potassium of 3 mEq/L.  Which of the following mechanisms is the most likely cause of this patient's hypokalemia?

• A)Decreased oral intake of potassium
• B)Development of respiratory acidosis
• C)Increased sweat loss of potassium
• D)Increased urinary excretion of potassium
• E)Intracellular shift of potassium

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Definitions:

Temporal Discounting

In decision making, the greater weight given to the present over the future.

Certainty Effect

A cognitive bias where people give greater weight to outcomes that are certain, compared to outcomes that are only probable.

Reactance

An inspired response to propositions, individuals, guidelines, or policies that challenge or remove certain freedoms of behavior.

Risk Aversion

In decision making, the greater weight given to possible losses than possible gains.