To control asthma, a client in a residential treatment facility uses a fluticasone propionate and salmeterol discus inhalation system, which provides an inhaled powdered form of these combined medications. Which instruction should the nurse provide to this client's caregivers?
When using the discus, have the client breathe out rapidly into the mouthpiece.
Offer the discus to the client for use during an acute asthma attack.
Clients using the discus may experience decreased blood pressure.
Explain that the client should not use the discus more than twice daily.
The Correct Answer is D
Choice A reason: This is not a correct instruction for the nurse to provide to the client's caregivers. When using the discus, the client should breathe out slowly and gently away from the mouthpiece, not into it. Breathing out rapidly into the mouthpiece can cause the powder to disperse and reduce the amount of medication delivered to the lungs. The client should also rinse the mouthpiece with water after each use and dry it thoroughly.
Choice B reason: This is not a correct instruction for the nurse to provide to the client's caregivers. The discus is not intended for use during an acute asthma attack, as it does not provide immediate relief of bronchospasm. The discus is a combination of fluticasone, a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation, and salmeterol, a long-acting beta-agonist that relaxes the airway muscles. The discus is a maintenance therapy that should be used regularly to prevent asthma symptoms and exacerbations. The client should also have a rescue inhaler, such as albuterol, for quick relief of asthma attacks.
Choice C reason: This is not a correct instruction for the nurse to provide to the client's caregivers. Clients using the discus may experience increased blood pressure, not decreased, as a possible side effect of salmeterol. Salmeterol can stimulate the beta receptors in the heart and blood vessels, causing tachycardia, palpitations, and hypertension. The nurse should monitor the client's blood pressure and heart rate regularly and report any abnormal findings to the healthcare provider.
Choice D reason: This is the correct instruction for the nurse to provide to the client's caregivers. The discus should not be used more than twice daily, as it can increase the risk of adverse effects and reduce the effectiveness of the medication. The discus should be used once in the morning and once in the evening, about 12 hours apart, to provide optimal control of asthma symptoms. The nurse should teach the client and the caregivers how to use the discus correctly and safely, and to follow the prescribed dosage and schedule.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Administering both prescribed medications as scheduled is not the appropriate action in this situation. The client's total calcium level is above the normal range of 9 to 10.5 mg/dL (2.25 to 2.62 mmol/L), indicating hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is a serious condition that can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, confusion, kidney stones, and cardiac arrhythmias. Giving more calcitriol and calcium carbonate would worsen the client's condition and increase the risk of complications.
Choice B reason: Holding the calcium carbonate, but administering the calcitriol as scheduled is not the appropriate action in this situation. Calcium carbonate is a supplement that provides extra calcium to the body. Calcitriol is a synthetic form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium from the intestines and kidneys. Both medications can increase the blood calcium level and cause hypercalcemia. The nurse should not give either medication without consulting the healthcare provider.
Choice C reason: Holding both medications until contacting the healthcare provider is the best action in this situation. The nurse should recognize that the client's total calcium level is dangerously high and report it to the healthcare provider as soon as possible. The healthcare provider may order to stop or adjust the doses of calcitriol and calcium carbonate, and prescribe other treatments to lower the blood calcium level, such as intravenous fluids, diuretics, or bisphosphonates.
Choice D reason: Holding the calcitriol, but administering the calcium carbonate as scheduled is not the appropriate action in this situation. Calcium carbonate is a supplement that provides extra calcium to the body. Giving more calcium carbonate to a client with hypercalcemia would increase the blood calcium level even more and cause more harm. The nurse should not give any medication that can raise the blood calcium level without consulting the healthcare provider.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Notifying the healthcare provider of the carbamazepine level is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take. Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant drug that requires close monitoring of its serum levels to ensure therapeutic and safe effects. The normal reference range for carbamazepine is 4 to 12 mcg/mL or 16.9 to 50.8 mmol/L. A level of 84 mcg/L (35.6 mmol/L) is significantly higher than the upper limit and indicates toxicity. The nurse should report this finding to the prescriber immediately and hold the dose until further instructions.
Choice B reason: Administering the carbamazepine as prescribed is not the most appropriate action for the nurse to take. Giving the evening dose of carbamazepine when the morning level is already toxic can worsen the client's condition and cause serious adverse effects, such as confusion, drowsiness, ataxia, nystagmus, or coma. The nurse should not administer the medication without consulting the prescriber.
Choice C reason: Assessing the client for side effects of carbamazepine is an important action for the nurse to take, but it is not the most appropriate one. The nurse should assess the client for signs and symptoms of carbamazepine toxicity, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, or seizures. However, this action alone is not sufficient to address the problem. The nurse should also notify the prescriber and withhold the dose.
Choice D reason: Withholding this dose of the carbamazepine is a necessary action for the nurse to take, but it is not the most appropriate one. The nurse should not give the evening dose of carbamazepine when the morning level is already toxic, as this can increase the risk of complications. However, this action alone is not enough to resolve the issue. The nurse should also notify the prescriber and follow the appropriate interventions.
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