A 60-year-old man with chronic alcoholism and a 20-pound wei…

A 60-year-old man with chronic alcoholism and a 20-pound weight loss over 2 months is admitted with pneumonia. He has had minimal oral intake for 10 days. Enteral nutrition is initiated at full caloric requirements. Within 48 hours, he develops confusion, muscle weakness, and arrhythmias. Labs: phosphate 1.1 mg/dL, potassium 2.8 mEq/L, magnesium 1.0 mg/dL.Which of the following best explains his clinical decline?

A 72-year-old woman with advanced chronic kidney disease is…

A 72-year-old woman with advanced chronic kidney disease is admitted for evaluation of altered mental status. Her laboratory results reveal a total serum calcium of 8.2 mg/dL (reference range: 8.5–10.5 mg/dL), albumin of 2.0 g/dL (reference range: 3.5–5.0 g/dL), and ionized calcium of 1.10 mmol/L (reference range: 1.20–1.40 mmol/L). Which of the following statements best describes the physiological significance of her calcium results?