Forty-eight hours after a thyroidectomy, a female client complains of numbness and tingling of the toes and fingers. The nurse notes upper arm and facial twitching. The nurse needs to:
A.
Report the findings to the physician
B.
Assist the client to do range of motion exercises
C.
Check the client’s potassium level
D.
Administer the as-needed dose of phenytoin (Dilantin)
(A) Muscular hyperactivity and parasthesias may indicate hypocalcemic tetany and require immediate administration of calcium gluconate. Tetany can occur if the parathyroid glands were erroneously excised during surgery. (B) Range of motion exercises are not appropriate topresenting symptoms. (C) These characteristics are not usual signs of potassium imbalance, but of calcium imbalance. (D) Phenytoin is indicated for seizure activity mainly of neurological origin.
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