A nurse in an urgent care clinic is collecting data from a client who reports having diarrhea for the past 3 days. Which of the following findings indicates hypokalemia?

A nurse collecting data from a client who reports having diarrhea for the past 3 days should identify that muscle weakness is a symptom of hypokalemia. Hypokalemia is a condition in which the blood potassium level is low and can be caused by excessive fluid loss through diarrhea. Potassium helps regulate muscle contractions, so when blood potassium levels are low, muscles may produce weaker contractions which result in muscle weakness. The other options are not typical symptoms of hypokalemia. a) Pitting edema is not a typical symptom of hypokalemia. b) Diplopia is not a typical symptom of hypokalemia. d) Hyperactive bowel sounds are not a typical symptom of hypokalemia.