A nurse is completing discharge teaching with a client who has a new prescription for enoxaparin to treat unstable angina. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Choice A rationale:
Increasing potassium consumption is unrelated to cephalexin, an antibiotic. It is not a necessary precaution or action to take while on this medication.
Choice B rationale:
Applying lotion to the skin to relieve itching is not related to cephalexin use. Itching is not a common side effect of this antibiotic, so the client's statement indicates a misunderstanding of the teaching.
Choice C rationale:
Avoiding sun exposure is essential while taking cephalexin because it is known to cause photosensitivity reactions. Sun exposure can lead to severe skin reactions, so the client's statement indicates an understanding of the teaching.
Choice D rationale:
Keeping the medication refrigerated is not necessary for cephalexin oral suspension. It should be stored at room temperature unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer. The client's statement suggests a misunderstanding of the medication storage instructions.

Choice A rationale:

A PT (Prothrombin Time) of 12 seconds is not indicative of the effectiveness of heparin therapy for a pulmonary embolism. PT measures the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade, and it is more relevant to monitor in patients on warfarin therapy.

Choice B rationale:

The aPTT (Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time) of 75 seconds is the correct choice as it reflects the effectiveness of unfractionated heparin therapy. Heparin works by inhibiting clotting factors in the intrinsic pathway, and the aPTT is used to monitor heparin's anticoagulant effect. The normal range for aPTT is typically 25-35 seconds.

Choice C rationale:

An INR (International Normalized Ratio) of 1.1 is not the appropriate parameter to assess the effectiveness of heparin therapy. INR is primarily used to monitor the effectiveness of oral anticoagulants like warfarin, not heparin.

Choice D rationale:

The platelet count of 200,000/mm² is not a suitable parameter to evaluate the effectiveness of heparin therapy. Platelet count is important for assessing the risk of bleeding or clotting disorders but does not directly measure the impact of heparin on clotting factors.