A nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of a client who is taking a loop diuretic and notes the client's potassium level is 3.0 mEq/L (3.5-5 mEq/L). Which of the following physiological responses should the nurse expect related to the client's hypokalemia?

A. Hypoglycemia is not directly caused by hypokalemia. While potassium plays a role in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, mild to moderate hypokalemia rarely produces clinically significant drops in blood glucose. B. Increased appetite is unrelated to potassium levels. Hypokalemia primarily affects neuromuscular and cardiac function, not hunger or digestive regulation. C. Hyperreflexia is more commonly associated with hypocalcemia or other electrolyte imbalances such as hypomagnesemia. Hypokalemia tends to cause muscle weakness, cramps, and decreased reflexes rather than exaggerated reflexes. D. Cardiac dysrhythmias are a major and potentially life-threatening consequence of hypokalemia. Low potassium levels disrupt normal cardiac conduction, increasing the risk for arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and premature ventricular contractions. Clients taking loop diuretics, which increase renal potassium excretion, are particularly vulnerable to this complication.