A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has new prescriptions for beclomethasone and albuterol inhalers.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?
Gargle with water after using beclomethasone.
It is not necessary to shake beclomethasone prior to use.
Use beclomethasone for an acute asthma attack.
Use beclomethasone before using albuterol to increase absorption.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A rationale
Beclomethasone is an inhaled corticosteroid. Gargling with water after use is essential to reduce the local deposition of the medication in the oropharynx. This minimizes the risk of developing oral candidiasis, commonly known as thrush, and hoarseness, which are common local side effects associated with inhaled corticosteroid use.
Choice B rationale
Beclomethasone, like most inhaled suspensions, requires shaking prior to use. Shaking ensures that the medication is evenly dispersed within the propellant or solution. This uniform dispersion is critical for delivering an accurate and consistent dose with each actuation, maximizing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing variability.
Choice C rationale
Beclomethasone is a long-acting inhaled corticosteroid used for the *maintenance* and *preventive* treatment of asthma. It works by reducing airway inflammation over time, not by providing immediate bronchodilation. Therefore, it is ineffective for and should not be used during an acute asthma attack, which requires a rapid-acting bronchodilator.
Choice D rationale
For optimal benefit, the short-acting bronchodilator, albuterol, should be used *before* beclomethasone. Albuterol opens the airways, allowing for better penetration of the inhaled corticosteroid into the lower respiratory tract. This sequential administration enhances the delivery and absorption of beclomethasone, improving its anti-inflammatory effects.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["E"]
Explanation
Choice A rationale: Persistent coughing with mucopurulent sputum suggests an ongoing respiratory infection or inflammation. Mucopurulent sputum indicates the presence of neutrophils and bacteria, often seen in bacterial pneumonia or tuberculosis. While significant, coughing alone is not an immediate life-threatening finding but rather a symptom requiring monitoring and further diagnostic follow-up to confirm the cause.
Choice B rationale: Joint pain in a patient receiving infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis may reflect an autoimmune flare or side effects of immunosuppression. Although uncomfortable and significant for quality of life, joint pain does not usually require immediate intervention compared to respiratory or infectious signs that may threaten life or transmission risk.
Choice C rationale: Anorexia, or decreased appetite, is a common systemic symptom in chronic infections like tuberculosis. It reflects the body’s inflammatory response and catabolic state but is a nonspecific finding. It requires addressing nutritional support but is not immediately life-threatening or requiring urgent intervention compared to active infectious disease signs.
Choice D rationale: Night sweats are a classic systemic symptom of tuberculosis caused by cytokine-mediated thermoregulatory dysfunction during infection. Although important in clinical suspicion, night sweats themselves do not necessitate immediate intervention but support the need for further diagnostic workup and infection control precautions.
Choice E rationale: An 11 mm induration on the purified protein derivative (PPD) test is considered positive in this patient due to immunosuppression with infliximab, which increases TB risk. The normal cutoff varies by risk factors, but 5 mm or greater is positive in immunosuppressed patients. This finding requires urgent follow-up to initiate treatment and prevent active disease and transmission, making it the most critical.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Sodium bicarbonate is used to treat metabolic acidosis or certain drug overdoses, but it does not directly address hypocalcemia, which is the underlying cause of a positive Trousseau's sign. Its primary action is to increase systemic pH, not calcium levels.
Choice B rationale
Magnesium sulfate is administered for magnesium deficiencies, pre-eclampsia, or certain arrhythmias. While magnesium deficiency can sometimes exacerbate hypocalcemia, it is not the primary treatment for Trousseau's sign, which specifically indicates low calcium.
Choice C rationale
Calcium gluconate is the appropriate medication to administer for a positive Trousseau's sign, as this sign indicates hypocalcemia (low serum calcium levels). Calcium gluconate directly replenishes calcium, correcting the neuromuscular excitability caused by insufficient extracellular calcium.
Choice D rationale
Potassium chloride is given to treat hypokalemia (low potassium levels). While electrolyte imbalances can be complex, a positive Trousseau's sign is specifically indicative of hypocalcemia, not hypokalemia, and potassium administration would not resolve the underlying issue.
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