A client comes to the clinic and reports that they stopped taking their prescribed steroids early because they felt much better. What side effect should the nurse anticipate in this client?
Peripheral edema.
Low blood pressure.
Hyperglycemia.
Weight loss.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A rationale
Peripheral edema is not a common side effect of stopping steroids early. Peripheral edema is often associated with conditions such as heart failure, liver disease, or kidney disease.
Choice B rationale
Low blood pressure is a common side effect when a person stops taking steroids like prednisone abruptly. Prednisone is a glucocorticoid, a type of steroid that works to mimic the effects of cortisol, a hormone that the adrenal glands produce. The body uses cortisol to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. When a person takes prednisone for longer than a few weeks, the body reduces the amount of cortisol it makes. When a person suddenly stops taking prednisone, the body cannot immediately produce enough cortisol to make up for the missing drug. This results in withdrawal symptoms, including low blood pressure.
Choice C rationale
Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is not typically a withdrawal symptom of stopping steroids early. While long-term use of steroids can lead to increased blood sugar levels, stopping the medication does not typically cause hyperglycemia.
Choice D rationale
Weight loss can be a symptom of steroid withdrawal, but it is not the most immediate or common symptom that would be anticipated in a client who stopped taking their prescribed steroids early. More common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, and low blood pressure.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Caffeine can cause symptoms such as rapid heart rate and headaches, but it does not interact with metronidazole to cause these symptoms.
Choice B rationale
Tobacco can cause a rapid heart rate, but it does not interact with metronidazole to cause these symptoms.
Choice C rationale
Alcohol interacts with metronidazole and can cause symptoms such as rapid heart rate, severe headache, and light-headedness.
Choice D rationale
Marijuana can cause a rapid heart rate and light-headedness, but it does not interact with metronidazole to cause these symptoms.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
A persistent cough is not directly related to the administration of famotidine. Famotidine is a histamine-2 blocker that works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach produces. It is used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines and to treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid. A persistent cough could be a symptom of many other conditions, but it is not a direct indicator of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of famotidine.
Choice B rationale
The absence of a sour taste in the mouth, often associated with acid reflux, could suggest that famotidine is working as it should. However, the absence of a sour taste does not definitively indicate that the medication has had its intended effect, as the patient may not have experienced this symptom even before taking the medication.
Choice C rationale
Famotidine is used to decrease the amount of acid in the stomach. A normal stomach pH is typically around 1.5 to 3.5, which is highly acidic. If a patient’s stomach pH is measured at 5, which is less acidic than normal, it could suggest that the famotidine has not had its intended effect of reducing stomach acid.
Choice D rationale
While headaches are listed as a common side effect of famotidine, the presence of headaches does not necessarily suggest that the medication has not had its intended effect. Headaches could be caused by a variety of factors and are not a direct indicator of the level of stomach acid or the effectiveness of famotidine.
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