A nurse is reviewing data for a client who receives clonidine daily.
Which of the following findings indicates the nurse should withhold the next dose?

Choice A rationale:

While a tuberculin syringe can be used for insulin administration, it’s not necessary when mixing NPH and regular insulin. Insulin syringes are typically used for this purpose.

Choice B rationale:

Injecting air into each vial before withdrawing insulin helps equalize pressure and makes it easier to draw up the insulin. This should be done before withdrawing any insulin.

Choice C rationale:

Withdrawing NPH insulin first contradicts the standard practice of drawing up insulins. The usual recommendation is to draw up short-acting (regular) insulin before intermediate-acting (NPH) insulin.

Choice D rationale:

Shaking the regular insulin vial is unnecessary and could potentially create bubbles, making it harder to draw up the correct dose of insulin.

Choice A rationale:

Renal excretion time slows for medication. As people age, kidney function gradually decreases, which slows the excretion of medications. This can lead to increased levels of the drug in the body, which can increase the risk of side effects.

Choice B rationale:

Hepatic enzymes do not process medications more rapidly in older adults. In fact, liver function also decreases with age, which can slow the metabolism of medications.

Choice C rationale:

Brain receptors do not become less sensitive to medications in older adults. The sensitivity of brain receptors to medications can vary widely and is not necessarily related to age.

Choice D rationale:

Gastric emptying rate does not increase with age. On the contrary, it often slows down, which can affect the absorption of some medications.