A nurse is caring for a patient who has heart failure and a new prescription for furosemide. For which of the following adverse effects should the nurse monitor?

Choice A reason: Hypervolemia is not an adverse effect of furosemide, a loop diuretic that promotes fluid excretion, reducing volume overload in heart failure. It decreases preload by increasing urine output, not causing fluid retention, making hypervolemia an incorrect concern for this medication’s side effects. Choice B reason: Hypertension is not a typical adverse effect of furosemide, which lowers blood pressure by reducing intravascular volume through diuresis. While rapid volume loss may cause orthostatic hypotension, furosemide does not increase blood pressure, making this an irrelevant adverse effect to monitor. Choice C reason: Hypoglycemia is not associated with furosemide, which primarily affects fluid and electrolyte balance, not glucose metabolism. Furosemide’s action on the loop of Henle increases electrolyte excretion, not blood sugar regulation, making hypoglycemia an incorrect adverse effect for this drug in heart failure. Choice D reason: Hypokalemia is a major adverse effect of furosemide, as it increases potassium excretion in the loop of Henle, lowering serum levels. This disrupts cardiac and muscle function, risking arrhythmias, especially in heart failure patients on digoxin, making it critical to monitor potassium levels closely.