A client with a history of bipolar disorder is prescribed lithium. Which teaching point should the nurse emphasize?
Maintain consistent salt intake
Avoid high-fiber foods
Increase caffeine consumption
Limit physical exercise
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Consistent salt intake is critical for lithium, as sodium levels affect lithium excretion. Low sodium increases lithium toxicity, causing tremors or confusion. Maintaining stable sodium intake ensures therapeutic levels, making this the priority teaching point for safe lithium therapy.
Choice B reason: Avoiding high-fiber foods is irrelevant to lithium therapy. Fiber affects gastrointestinal health but not lithium pharmacokinetics. Consistent salt intake is essential, as sodium fluctuations alter lithium clearance, risking toxicity, making dietary sodium the priority teaching focus.
Choice C reason: Increasing caffeine is inappropriate, as it may exacerbate bipolar symptoms and increase lithium excretion, risking subtherapeutic levels. Consistent salt intake stabilizes lithium levels, preventing toxicity or inefficacy, making it the critical teaching point for effective bipolar management.
Choice D reason: Limiting physical exercise is unnecessary for lithium therapy. Exercise supports mental health in bipolar disorder but does not directly affect lithium levels. Consistent salt intake is the priority, as sodium balance ensures safe and effective lithium therapy.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Assisting with mobility and fall prevention is critical in Parkinson’s disease, as bradykinesia and rigidity increase fall risk. Physical therapy and assistive devices enhance safety, reducing injury risk, making this the priority intervention to maintain functional independence and prevent fractures.
Choice B reason: High-protein meals may interfere with levodopa absorption in Parkinson’s, worsening symptoms. Mobility assistance is the priority, as falls are a leading cause of injury, requiring immediate intervention to ensure safety, making dietary protein secondary to physical support.
Choice C reason: Restricting fluid intake is inappropriate, as hydration prevents constipation in Parkinson’s. Mobility and fall prevention are critical, as motor symptoms increase injury risk. Assisting with mobility addresses the primary functional challenge, making fluid restriction irrelevant to priority care.
Choice D reason: Promoting social isolation worsens depression in Parkinson’s, a common comorbidity. Mobility assistance is the priority, as falls due to motor impairment are a significant risk, requiring immediate intervention to ensure safety, making social isolation counterproductive to care.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Promoting effective swallowing is relevant for dysphagia but not the primary goal for sliding hiatal hernia, where the stomach protrudes into the thorax, causing reflux. Preventing acid reflux into the esophagus is critical to reduce irritation and complications like esophagitis, making swallowing secondary.
Choice B reason: Preventing esophageal reflux is the primary goal for sliding hiatal hernia, as the stomach’s protrusion through the diaphragm allows gastric acid to reflux, causing heartburn and esophageal damage. Nursing actions like elevating the head of the bed and avoiding trigger foods minimize reflux, protecting the esophagus.
Choice C reason: Maintaining intact oral mucosa is unrelated to hiatal hernia, which affects the gastroesophageal junction. Reflux causes esophageal, not oral, irritation. The focus is on preventing acid reflux to protect the esophagus, making oral mucosa maintenance irrelevant to the condition’s pathophysiology.
Choice D reason: Increasing intestinal peristalsis is not a goal for hiatal hernia, which involves gastroesophageal reflux, not intestinal motility. Enhanced peristalsis may worsen reflux by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Preventing reflux is prioritized to manage symptoms and prevent esophageal complications.
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