The nurse is teaching an older adult with a new prescription for hydrochlorothiazide as a second anti-hypertensive drug. What safety precaution will the nurse include in the teaching?

A. Monitors the patient's temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure:
Monitoring vital signs is crucial for assessing the patient's overall condition, including respiratory status. However, while changes in vital signs may indicate respiratory distress, they do not directly address the need to ensure clear breath sounds. This intervention alone does not actively promote airway clearance or improve breath sounds.

B. Educates the patient to avoid handling pet excreta or cleaning litter boxes, birdcages, or aquariums:
This intervention focuses on reducing the risk of exposure to potential pathogens that could worsen the patient's respiratory condition. While important for infection control, it does not directly address the need to ensure clear breath sounds. Environmental precautions, although necessary, do not actively promote airway clearance or improve breath sounds.

C. Encourages the patient to perform cough, deep breathing, and postural drainage every 2 to 4 hours:
This intervention directly targets promoting airway clearance and improving breath sounds in a patient with pneumonia. Coughing helps mobilize secretions, deep breathing promotes lung expansion and ventilation, and postural drainage assists in the drainage of secretions from different lung segments. Regular performance of these interventions prevents secretion accumulation, thereby improving breath sounds and respiratory function.

D. Provides nutritional support if the patient is unable to take sufficient amounts by mouth:
While nutritional support is important for overall patient care, especially during illness or compromised nutritional intake, it does not directly address the need to ensure clear breath sounds in a patient with pneumonia. Although adequate nutrition supports immune function and overall recovery, it does not directly impact respiratory clearance or breath sounds.

A. Pedal edema: Amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, can cause peripheral edema as a side effect due to its vasodilatory effects on arterioles. This can manifest as swelling, particularly in the feet and ankles.

B. Muscle cramps: Muscle cramps are a known side effect of amlodipine. While the mechanism is not fully understood, calcium channel blockers like amlodipine can disrupt calcium ion flux in muscle cells, potentially leading to muscle cramping.

C. Dizziness: Dizziness is a common side effect of amlodipine, particularly during the initial period of treatment or when dosage adjustments are made. It is believed to be related to its vasodilatory effects and subsequent lowering of blood pressure.

D. Sexual dysfunction: Sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction, has been reported as a side effect of amlodipine in some patients. The exact mechanism is not well understood but may be related to alterations in blood flow or neurohormonal effects.

E. Bradycardia: Bradycardia (slow heart rate) is not a typical side effect of amlodipine. Amlodipine primarily acts as a vasodilator and does not typically affect heart rate. In fact, it may cause reflex tachycardia (increased heart rate) in some individuals as a compensatory response to its vasodilatory effects.