The nurse is taking a health history on a 38-year-old man who is taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) for high cholesterol.
What will the nurse query specifically related to the safety of this drug?

Choice A rationale

Improved mental status can be a sign of better overall health but is not a specific indicator of improved heart failure status.

Choice B rationale

Using fewer pillows at night indicates reduced orthopnea, a common symptom of heart failure, suggesting that the patient’s heart failure status has improved.

Choice C rationale

Increased skin turgor indicates improved hydration status but is not a specific measure of heart failure improvement.

Choice D rationale

Heart rate regularity is important but does not directly indicate improved heart failure status.

Choice A rationale

Cholinergic agonists primarily stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system rather than the central nervous system, affecting activities like digestion, salivation, and decreased heart rate.

Choice B rationale

Parasympathetic nervous system is the correct answer. Cholinergic agonists mimic acetylcholine and stimulate parasympathetic responses, promoting rest-and-digest functions such as reducing heart rate and enhancing glandular secretions.

Choice C rationale

The sympathetic nervous system is not stimulated by cholinergic agonists. Instead, this system is activated by adrenergic agonists, which prepare the body for fight-or-flight responses, increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

Choice D rationale

Voluntary nervous system control is not the primary target of cholinergic agonists. This system governs skeletal muscle movement and is influenced by neuromuscular junctions rather than the autonomic responses modulated by cholinergic drugs. .