A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for ceftriaxone. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following adverse effects?

B. Hemoglobin levels should be monitored regularly to assess the effectiveness of epoetin alfa therapy. Epoetin alfa stimulates the production of red blood cells, which should result in an increase in hemoglobin levels over time in clients with anemia. Monitoring hemoglobin levels helps determine if the medication is achieving the desired therapeutic effect.

A. Thrombin time measures the time it takes for a clot to form in a blood sample after thrombin is added. It is primarily used to assess abnormalities in the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin during the clotting process. Thrombin time is not typically monitored to assess the effectiveness of epoetin alfa.
C. AST is an enzyme found primarily in the liver and heart. Elevated AST levels may indicate liver or heart damage but are not specifically related to the effectiveness of epoetin alfa therapy. AST is not routinely monitored to assess the effectiveness of epoetin alfa.
D. Troponin is a cardiac biomarker used to diagnose myocardial infarction (heart attack). Elevated troponin levels indicate damage to the heart muscle. Troponin levels are not directly related to the effectiveness of epoetin alfa therapy and are not routinely monitored for this purpose.

B. Weight gain can indicate that methimazole is effectively managing the thyroid imbalance. Methimazole is commonly used to treat hyperthyroidism by inhibiting the production of thyroid hormones. Weight gain may occur as a result of restoring thyroid hormone levels to normal, which can lead to a decrease in metabolism and an improvement in symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism, such as unintended weight loss.
A. Increased libido is not typically associated with the effectiveness of methimazole in treating thyroid imbalance. Thyroid dysfunction, whether hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, can affect libido, but improvement in libido would not specifically indicate the effectiveness of methimazole.
C. Decreased menstrual flow is not a typical indicator of the effectiveness of methimazole in treating thyroid imbalance. Thyroid dysfunction can affect menstrual cycles, with hyperthyroidism often associated with lighter or irregular menstrual periods. However, improvement in menstrual flow alone would not necessarily indicate the effectiveness of methimazole.
D. Clear breath sounds are not specific to the effectiveness of methimazole in treating thyroid imbalance. While methimazole can help manage symptoms of hyperthyroidism, such as palpitations and shortness of breath, clear breath sounds do not directly indicate thyroid function improvement.