A nurse is preparing to administer clindamycin to a client who states she forgot to report to the provider that she is allergic to penicillin. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Choice A Reason:
Serum osmolarity 310 mOsm/L is incorrect. Serum osmolarity measures the concentration of particles in the blood. While an elevated serum osmolarity might indicate dehydration, it's not a direct indicator of the effectiveness of treatment. It signifies the concentration of solutes in the blood rather than reflecting hydration improvement after treatment.
Choice B Reason:
Serum hematocrit 55%m is incorrect. Elevated hematocrit levels can occur in dehydration because of hemoconcentration (an increase in the concentration of red blood cells due to reduced fluid volume). However, similar to serum osmolarity, while it can indicate dehydration, it doesn't specifically reflect the effectiveness of treatment.
To determine effective treatment of dehydration, the nurse should consider the laboratory values that reflect hydration status:
Choice C Reason:
Urine specific gravity 1.020 is correct. Urine specific gravity measures the concentration of solutes in the urine, indicating the kidneys' ability to concentrate urine. A higher specific gravity (typically above 1.020) suggests more concentrated urine, which can indicate dehydration. As hydration improves, the urine becomes less concentrated, so a decrease in urine specific gravity toward the normal range (around 1.010-1.020) indicates effective rehydration and improved kidney function in retaining fluids.
Choice D Reason:
BUN 28 mg/dL is incorrect. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels can also rise in dehydration due to reduced kidney perfusion. However, like serum osmolarity and hematocrit, while it can indicate dehydration, it doesn't directly show the effectiveness of treatment or the improvement in hydration status after treatment.

Choice A Reason:
Contact the provider to clarify the prescription is not appropriate. Contacting the provider might not be necessary in this case. The prescription specifies "NOW," indicating an urgent administration, which is a clear directive to administer the medication promptly without further clarification.
Choice B Reason:
Administer the medication within 90 minutes is appropriate. "NOW" typically implies an urgent need for administration, and within a hospital setting, "NOW" often indicates a timeframe of around 90 minutes for prompt administration of the medication.
Choice C Reason:
Notify the pharmacy to send the medication immediately is inappropriate. With the prescription stating "NOW," the need for immediate administration usually requires using the hospital's available stock of the medication rather than waiting for delivery from the pharmacy. This action might cause a delay in administration.
Choice D Reason:
Inform the client there is a prescription available if needed is inappropriate. This option is not suitable in this scenario. "NOW" in the prescription implies the immediate need for administration, so informing the client about the availability of the prescription doesn't align with the urgency implied by the directive "NOW."