A Patient Has a Serum Sodium Level of 165 MEq/L

Multiple Choice

A patient has a serum sodium level of 165 mEq/L. The healthcare professional explains that the clinical manifestations of confusion, convulsions, cerebral hemorrhage, and coma are caused by what mechanism?

A) High sodium in the blood vessels pulls water out of the brain cells into the blood vessels, causing brain cells to shrink.
B) High sodium in the brain cells pulls water out of the blood vessels into the brain cells, causing them to swell.
C) Low sodium in the blood vessels pulls potassium out of the brain cells, which slows the synapses in the brain.
D) Low sodium in the blood vessels draws chloride into the brain cells followed by water, causing the brain cells to swell.