A patient plans to stop taking prescribed clonidine to treat hypertension because of the side effect of dry mouth. Which action by the nurse is best?
Tell the patient that dry mouth is not caused by clonidine.
Give the patient hard candy or gum to relieve the symptom.
Instruct the patient to stop taking the medication immediately.
Advise the patient to take a reduced dose of the medication.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A rationale: Dry mouth is a known side effect of clonidine, and denying this information would be inaccurate.
Choice B rationale: Providing strategies to alleviate the side effect, such as offering hard candy or gum, is a proactive approach to managing the dry mouth without discontinuing the medication.
Choice C rationale: Stopping antihypertensive medication abruptly can lead to rebound hypertension, and the nurse should not encourage discontinuation without consulting the healthcare provider.
Choice D rationale: Adjusting the dose of clonidine should be done under the guidance of a healthcare provider; self-adjustment without professional input is not advisable.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A rationale: Methadone is an opioid analgesic and may exacerbate respiratory depression. It is not typically used as an antidote for opioid overdose.
Choice B rationale: Nalbuphine is a partial opioid agonist-antagonist and may have less respiratory depressant effect than pure opioid agonists. However, naloxone is the specific opioid antagonist used in opioid overdose situations.
Choice C rationale: Tramadol is an opioid analgesic and may exacerbate respiratory depression. It is not typically used as an antidote for opioid overdose.
Choice D rationale: Naloxone is the opioid antagonist used to reverse opioid- induced respiratory depression. It should be administered in the case of opioid overdose.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale: While a decreased frequency of migraine headaches is a positive outcome, it does not directly indicate the immediate therapeutic effect of a sumatriptan (a serotonin receptor agonist). It may suggest a preventive effect over time.
Choice B rationale: Complete absence of migraine headaches is a positive outcome, but it is not always achievable. Immediate cessation of all headaches might not be realistic with every dose.
Choice C rationale: This is correct. Sumatriptan, a serotonin receptor agonist, is designed to terminate or relieve an ongoing migraine headache when administered during an attack. The patient reporting the termination of the migraine headache after drug administration suggests the desired therapeutic effect.
Choice D rationale: Increased nausea is not a desired therapeutic effect of sumatriptan. Sumatriptan is used to relieve the symptoms of migraines, including nausea, not exacerbate them.
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