When a psychiatrist prescribes lorazepam (Ativan) for acute anxiety experienced by a client with agoraphobia, health teaching should include which instructions?
Report drowsiness
Adjust dose and frequency of ingestion based on anxiety level
Avoid alcoholic beverages
Eat a tyramine-free diet
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Lorazepam, a benzodiazepine, enhances GABA activity, often causing drowsiness as a common side effect. Reporting drowsiness is critical to monitor for excessive sedation, which can impair safety and daily functioning, ensuring the dose is adjusted appropriately to balance efficacy and side effects.
Choice B reason: Adjusting the dose or frequency of lorazepam without medical supervision is dangerous due to the risk of dependence and overdose. Benzodiazepines require strict adherence to prescribed regimens to prevent tolerance, withdrawal, or adverse effects, making this an incorrect and unsafe instruction.
Choice C reason: Alcohol enhances the sedative effects of lorazepam by further increasing GABA activity, risking severe central nervous system depression, respiratory failure, or coma. Avoiding alcohol is critical to ensure safety and prevent life-threatening interactions, making this a key teaching point for the client.
Choice D reason: A tyramine-free diet is relevant for MAOIs, not benzodiazepines like lorazepam. Tyramine interactions cause hypertensive crises with MAOIs, but lorazepam has no dietary restrictions related to tyramine, making this instruction irrelevant and incorrect for this medication.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: High-impact activities, such as running, increase cardiac demand and oxygen consumption, which can exacerbate heart failure symptoms due to reduced cardiac reserve. These activities are contraindicated, as they may lead to decompensation, worsening dyspnea, or fatigue in clients with heart failure.
Choice B reason: In heart failure, exercise improves cardiovascular fitness but must be moderated to avoid over PLEASE ASSIST WITH FORMATTING overexertion. Slowing down if dizzy or short of breath prevents decompensation by reducing cardiac strain, ensuring safety while promoting gradual physical activity.
Choice C reason: Unsupervised exercise is not universally contraindicated in heart failure, as tailored exercise programs can be safe with medical clearance. Requiring constant supervision is overly restrictive and may discourage beneficial physical activity, which is important for improving heart failure outcomes with proper guidance.
Choice D reason: Aiming for 30 minutes of daily exercise is a long-term goal for heart failure clients but may be unrealistic initially due to limited exercise tolerance. Gradual progression under medical supervision is needed, as immediate high-duration exercise could lead to overexertion and worsening symptoms.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Admitting fear of weight gain or behaviors interfering with weight gain shows psychological insight, which is important in anorexia nervosa treatment. However, as a short-term outcome, it is less critical than addressing immediate nutritional deficiencies to prevent organ damage and stabilize physical health.
Choice B reason: Accepting personal value and worth addresses the psychological aspects of anorexia nervosa, such as low self-esteem. While important for long-term recovery, it is not a short-term priority, as it does not directly address the immediate physical risks of malnutrition and weight loss.
Choice C reason: Identifying alternative coping strategies helps address emotional triggers for anorexia nervosa, supporting long-term recovery. However, in the short term, the priority is to restore nutritional status and prevent complications like cardiac failure, making this outcome less urgent than dietary adherence.
Choice D reason: Following a nutritionally balanced diet is critical in the short term for clients with anorexia nervosa to reverse malnutrition, restore weight, and prevent life-threatening complications like electrolyte imbalances or organ failure. This directly addresses the immediate physiological needs, making it the most appropriate short-term outcome.
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