A patient with nasal congestion has been prescribed phenylephrine 10 mg by mouth every 4 hours.
What patient condition should the nurse report to the healthcare provider before administering the medication?

Choice A rationale

Administering glucagon prior to meals to prevent hyperglycemia is not a recommended use of a glucagon emergency kit. Glucagon is a hormone that raises blood glucose levels by causing the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream. It is typically used to treat severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), not to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Choice B rationale

The nurse should instruct the client and family to administer glucagon when symptoms of severe hypoglycemia are present. Severe hypoglycemia is a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause symptoms such as confusion, blurred vision, seizures, and loss of consciousness. In such cases, glucagon can be administered to quickly raise the blood glucose level.

Choice C rationale

Administering glucagon when the client is unable to eat during sick days is not a recommended use of a glucagon emergency kit. While it’s true that illness can affect blood glucose levels,

glucagon is specifically used to treat severe hypoglycemia. Other strategies, such as adjusting insulin doses or consuming liquid or soft carbohydrates, are typically recommended when a person with diabetes is sick and unable to eat their usual meals.

Choice D rationale

Administering glucagon at the onset of symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis is not a recommended use of a glucagon emergency kit. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liver processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic. Glucagon would not be effective in treating this condition.

Choice A rationale

Instructing the patient to exhale rapidly into the mouthpiece when using the discus is incorrect. The patient should breathe in through their mouth as deeply as they can until they have taken a full deep breath.

Choice B rationale

Fluticasone and salmeterol is a combination of two medicines that are used to help control the symptoms of asthma and improve breathing. It is used when a patient’s asthma has not been controlled sufficiently on other asthma medicines, or when a patient’s condition is so severe that more than one medicine is needed every day. Therefore, explaining that the patient should not use the discus more than twice daily is the correct instruction.

Choice C rationale

Informing that patients using the discus may experience a decrease in blood pressure is incorrect. The most common side effects of fluticasone and salmeterol include drowsiness, dizziness, and weakness.

Choice D rationale

Suggesting offering the discus to the patient for use during an acute asthma attack is incorrect. Fluticasone and salmeterol is not used to relieve an asthma attack that has already started.