A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for lithium carbonate. Prior to administering the first dose, which of the following laboratory values should the nurse evaluate?

A. Administer an antitoxin: There is no specific antitoxin available for anthrax. Treatment primarily involves antibiotics and supportive care.

B. Quarantine the client: Quarantine may not be necessary unless the client is confirmed to have an active infection or poses a risk of spreading the disease to others.

C. Monitor the client for a productive cough: While respiratory symptoms can occur in inhalation anthrax, monitoring for a productive cough alone may not be sufficient for management.

D. Begin prophylactic treatment with ciprofloxacin: Prophylactic antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin or doxycycline is recommended following exposure to anthrax to prevent the development of the disease.

A.

A. It's important to include the complete name of the medication to ensure clarity and accuracy in documentation.

B. Omitting the leading zero before a decimal point can lead to medication errors, so it's important to include it.

C. "U" is commonly used to denote units when documenting insulin dosage, so this statement is accurate.

D. "QOD" is an outdated abbreviation and can lead to confusion, so it should not be used; instead, "every other day" should be written out for clarity.