A client with tuberculosis has been prescribed isoniazid and pyridoxine. Which adverse effects is the pyridoxine intended to prevent?

Choice A rationale
Lactulose is used to treat hepatic encephalopathy, a condition that affects patients with liver failure. It works by reducing the absorption of ammonia in the gut. Having loose, watery stools is a desired therapeutic effect of lactulose. Therefore, no action is required if the patient is oriented and has had 6 loose, watery stools since 07007.
Choice B rationale
Withholding the dose and contacting the doctor for daily stool count parameters is not necessary in this situation. The patient is currently oriented, which suggests that the lactulose is effectively managing their hepatic encephalopathy.
Choice C rationale
Administering the medication because diarrhea is a common side effect is not the correct course of action. The presence of loose, watery stools is not merely a side effect, but a desired therapeutic effect of lactulose in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.
Choice D rationale
Removing fall precautions due to changes in mental status is not necessary in this situation. The patient is currently oriented, which suggests that the lactulose is effectively managing their hepatic encephalopathy.

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.