A 10-year-old child presents to the outpatient clinic with dehydration. The nurse practitioner administers a bolus of IV fluids. Before adding potassium to the fluids, the nurse practitioner should first assess:

Rationale: A. Recent fluid intake provides context for overall hydration but does not directly determine the safety of adding potassium. B. Urinary output must be assessed before adding potassium to IV fluids because adequate renal function is essential for potassium excretion. Administering potassium to a patient with low or absent urine output can lead to hyperkalemia, which can cause life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. C. Capillary refill helps assess perfusion and dehydration but does not indicate the patient’s ability to excrete potassium. D. Last bowel movement is not relevant to potassium administration in IV fluids, as potassium is primarily excreted via the kidneys rather than the gastrointestinal tract.