A nurse is caring for an older adult client who has erectile dysfunction due to diabetes mellitus.

The client asks the nurse what he can do to improve his sexual function.

Which of the following responses should the nurse give?

The correct answer is A.

Adverse drug reactions.

Polypharmacy, which refers to the effects of taking multiple medications concurrently to manage coexisting health problems, is common among older adults.

It is defined as the regular use of at least five medications.

Polypharmacy can lead to an increase in geriatric syndromes, decrease in functional outcomes, and increased mortality.

One of the major risks of polypharmacy is adverse drug reactions, which are harmful or unintended effects of a medication that occur at normal doses.

Adverse drug reactions can result from drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, drug-age interactions, or inappropriate prescribing.

Adverse drug reactions can cause symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, falls, bleeding, or organ damage.

They can also lead to hospitalizations, increased health care costs, and reduced quality of life.

Choice B is wrong because medication adherence, which is the extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by their health care providers, can actually decrease with polypharmacy.

This is because taking multiple medications can be complex, costly, and burdensome for older adults, especially if they have cognitive impairment or low health literacy.

Medication adherence can also be influenced by patients’ beliefs, preferences, and expectations about their medications.

Choice C is wrong because drug-drug interactions are not a risk of polypharmacy per se, but rather a cause of adverse drug reactions.

Drug-drug interactions occur when two or more drugs affect each other’s pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) or pharmacodynamics (mechanism of action, efficacy, toxicity).

Drug-drug interactions can alter the therapeutic effects or safety of a medication.

Choice D is wrong because therapeutic effects are the intended or desired effects of a medication that benefit the patient’s health condition.

Therapeutic effects can decrease with polypharmacy due to drug-drug interactions that reduce the efficacy of a medication.

Therapeutic effects can also be diminished by prescribing cascade, which is a phenomenon where a new medication is prescribed to treat a symptom that is actually an adverse drug reaction of another medication.

Normal ranges for blood pressure are.

≤120/80.

mmHg for normal,.

120−129/80.

mmHg for elevated,.

130−139/80−89.

mmHg for stage 1 hypertension, and.

≥140/90.

mmHg for stage 2 hypertension.

The correct answer is C.

Check for bladder distention or fecal impaction.

Autonomic dysreflexia is a disorder of autonomic nervous system dysregulation that occurs in patients with a spinal cord injury above T6.

It is caused by an exaggerated reflex response of the sympathetic nervous system due to an irritating stimulus below the spinal cord injury.It leads to severe hypertension and is a medical emergency.

Bladder or bowel distension are the most common triggers of autonomic dysreflexia.

Therefore, the priority nursing intervention is to check for bladder distention or fecal impaction and relieve them as soon as possible.

This can help to eliminate the stimulus and lower the blood pressure.

Choice A is wrong because administering antihypertensive medication as prescribed may not be effective or appropriate for autonomic dysreflexia.

The hypertension is caused by a reflex mechanism and not by a primary cardiovascular disorder.Moreover, antihypertensive drugs may cause hypotension once the stimulus is removed.

Choice B is wrong because elevating the head of bed to 90 degrees may not be enough to lower the blood pressure.It may also increase the risk of orthostatic hypotension once the stimulus is removed.However, sitting the patient upright and loosening any tight clothing are recommended as initial steps to reduce the blood pressure.

Choice D is wrong because applying a cooling blanket to lower body temperature is not indicated for autonomic dysreflexia.There is no evidence that body temperature is elevated or contributes to the hypertension in this condition.A cooling blanket may also cause vasoconstriction and worsen the hypertension.

Normal ranges for blood pressure vary depending on age, sex, and other factors.

However, a general guideline is that systolic blood pressure should be less than 120 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure should be less than 80 mm Hg for most adults.

Normal ranges for heart rate also vary depending on age, activity level, and other factors.

However, a general guideline is that resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute for most adults.

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