The physician orders acyclovir 400 mg po three times a day for herpes. The medication is supplied in 800-mg tablets. How many tablets will the nurse administer?

A. Narrowing of the inferior vena cava, causing low blood flow and increases in venous pressure resulting in varicosities. The inferior vena cava does not significantly narrow with aging. Varicosities are more commonly due to valve insufficiency in the veins rather than vena cava narrowing.
B. Progressive atrophy of the intramuscular calf veins, causing venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency is common in older adults, but it is primarily due to valve dysfunction and prolonged venous pressure rather than atrophy of calf veins.
C. Peripheral blood vessels growing more rigid with age, producing a rise in systolic blood pressure. Aging leads to arteriosclerosis, where blood vessels become stiffer, reducing their ability to expand and contract, which contributes to increased systolic blood pressure. This is a well-documented normal physiologic change in older adults.
D. Hormonal changes causing vasodilation and a resulting drop in blood pressure. While some hormonal changes occur with aging, they do not typically lead to significant vasodilation. In fact, the loss of vascular elasticity and autonomic dysfunction can contribute to postural hypotension, but not a generalized drop in blood pressure.

A. Regular use of narcotic analgesics leads to drug addiction. While opioids can cause dependence with prolonged use, addiction is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking behavior. When used appropriately for pain management, addiction risk is low.
B. Amount of pain is reflective of actual tissue damage. Pain perception varies widely among individuals. Some may experience severe pain with minimal tissue damage, while others may have little pain despite significant injury.
C. Patients are the best judges of their pain. Pain is subjective, and only the patient can accurately describe its intensity and quality. Nurses should trust the patient's self-report rather than rely solely on appearance or behavior.
D. Chronic pain is psychological in nature. Chronic pain often has a physiological basis, such as nerve damage or inflammation, though psychological factors can influence pain perception. It is not purely psychological.