A nurse is preparing to administer enteric-coated aspirin to an older adult client who had a cerebrovascular accident and has difficulty swallowing medications. The client asks the nurse if she will crush the medication to make it easier to swallow. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?
"Stomach acid will inactivate some of the medication if I crush the medication."
"If I crush it you might experience a stomach ache or indigestion."
"That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time."
"I will crush it and mix it in some ice cream for you."
The Correct Answer is B
A. "Stomach acid will inactivate some of the medication if I crush the medication." The purpose of the enteric coating is to protect the stomach lining from irritation, not to prevent inactivation by stomach acid.
B. "If I crush it you might experience a stomach ache or indigestion." Enteric-coated (EC) medications are designed with a special outer layer that resists dissolving in the highly acidic environment of the stomach. Instead, they are meant to dissolve in the more alkaline environment of the small intestine. Aspirin is a gastric irritant; crushing the enteric coating exposes the stomach lining directly to the medication, significantly increasing the risk of gastric irritation or even GI bleeding.
C. "That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time." This describes extended-release (ER/XR/SR) or sustained-release medications. While some enteric-coated pills may have delayed absorption, the primary purpose of an enteric coating is site-specific dissolution (intestine vs. stomach) rather than controlled release over a specific number of hours.
D. "I will crush it and mix it in some ice cream for you." Crushing enteric-coated medications is contraindicated, and it could cause harm.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","D"]
Explanation
A. Physicians' Desk Reference: The Physicians' Desk Reference is a reliable resource for drug information.
B. Published journals: Peer-reviewed journals are reliable sources for current medication research and guidelines.
C. Pharmaceutical sales representatives. While they provide information, it may be biased toward promoting their products rather than providing comprehensive, unbiased data.
D. Pharmacists: Pharmacists are a reliable source for medication information and can provide detailed knowledge about drug interactions, side effects, and proper use.
E. Internet: While some internet sources may be reliable, many are not peer-reviewed, making it a less reliable source for medication information.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. "Stomach acid will inactivate some of the medication if I crush the medication." The purpose of the enteric coating is to protect the stomach lining from irritation, not to prevent inactivation by stomach acid.
B. "If I crush it you might experience a stomach ache or indigestion."Enteric-coated (EC) medications are designed with a special outer layer that resists dissolving in the highly acidic environment of the stomach. Instead, they are meant to dissolve in the more alkaline environment of the small intestine. Aspirin is a gastric irritant; crushing the enteric coating exposes the stomach lining directly to the medication, significantly increasing the risk of gastric irritation or even GI bleeding.
C. "That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time."This describes extended-release (ER/XR/SR) or sustained-release medications. While some enteric-coated pills may have delayed absorption, the primary purpose of an enteric coating is site-specific dissolution (intestine vs. stomach) rather than controlled release over a specific number of hours.
D. "I will crush it and mix it in some ice cream for you." Crushing enteric-coated medications is contraindicated, and it could cause harm.
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