When administering insulin to a patient with confirmed DKA, what is an important nursing consideration related to potassium levels?

Rationale: A. Insulin therapy in DKA promotes glucose uptake into cells, and potassium follows glucose into the intracellular space, potentially causing rapid hypokalemia. Hypokalemia can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, so frequent monitoring of serum potassium levels is essential. Potassium replacement may be necessary before or during insulin therapy, depending on the patient’s potassium level. B. Simply increasing dietary potassium is insufficient in DKA because insulin therapy causes a rapid shift of potassium into cells, which may require IV replacement. Blind dietary supplementation does not ensure safe potassium levels and ignores the risk of severe hypokalemia. C. Diuretics would increase potassium loss, worsening hypokalemia rather than preventing overload. In DKA, the risk is usually low potassium, not high, so diuretics are contraindicated in this context. D. Potassium monitoring must continue throughout DKA treatment because insulin therapy and fluid replacement can rapidly change serum potassium levels. Stopping monitoring increases the risk of cardiac complications.