Ms. Samuels is scheduled to receive chemotherapy this afternoon at 1400. Her prescribed chemotherapy treatment causes nausea and vomiting as a side effect. How should the RN approach treating this patient for this side effect?

Explanation:

A. Administer phenergan (Promethazine) 12.5 mg IVP at the first complaint of nausea.

This option suggests waiting until the patient complains of nausea before administering the antiemetic. It is not a proactive approach and may not effectively prevent nausea associated with chemotherapy.

B. Administer ondansetron (Zofran) 4mg IV Push after Ms. Samuels complains of nausea.

Similar to option A, this choice involves waiting for the patient to experience nausea before administering the medication. Again, it is not a proactive strategy for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

C. Administer ondansetron (Zofran) 4mg IV push sometime between 1300-1330.

This option is the most appropriate among the given choices. It suggests administering the antiemetic (ondansetron) before the scheduled chemotherapy session. Ondansetron is commonly used as a prophylactic measure to prevent nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

D. Administer phenergan (Promethazine) 25 mg PO at 1345.

This choice involves administering the antiemetic (phenergan) orally just 15 minutes before the scheduled chemotherapy session. While it is better than waiting for symptoms to appear, oral medications may take some time to be absorbed, and it might not provide as rapid relief as an intravenous (IV) medication.

A. Kill cancer cells and normal cells

This describes the general mechanism of traditional chemotherapy, which targets rapidly dividing cells. Unlike targeted therapies, traditional chemotherapy does not selectively target specific molecules or pathways in cancer cells, leading to a broader impact on both cancer cells and normal cells.

B. Increase neutrophils to fight infection

This does not describe the mechanism of targeted therapies. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell involved in the immune response to infection. Targeted therapies primarily focus on blocking specific molecular pathways involved in cancer cell growth and survival.

C. Target the spread of infection

This option is not an accurate description of how targeted therapies treat cancer. The primary goal of targeted therapies is to interfere with specific molecular processes in cancer cells, not to target the spread of infection.

D. Block specific cancer cell growth on the molecular level

This is the correct answer. Targeted therapies are designed to block or interfere with specific molecules or pathways involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells. By targeting these specific aspects of cancer cell biology, targeted therapies aim to inhibit the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells while minimizing damage to normal cells.