An 18-year-old requests a prescription for birth control pills to ...

[rmenurse]

An 18-year-old requests a prescription for birth control pills to control severe abdominal cramping and headaches during her menstrual periods. Which should the nurse take first?
 
  a. Determine whether the patient is sexually active.
  b. Teach about the side effects of oral contraceptives.
  c. Take a personal and family health history from the patient.
  d. Suggest nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relief.

Question 2

Which action should the nurse take when a 35-year-old patient has a result of minor cellular changes on her Pap test?
 
  a. Teach the patient about colposcopy.
  b. Teach the patient about punch biopsy.
  c. Schedule another Pap test in 4 months.
  d. Administer the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

[recede]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Oral contraceptives may be appropriate to control this patient's symptoms, but the patient's health history may indicate contraindications to oral contraceptive use. Because the patient is requesting contraceptives for management of dysmenorrhea, whether she is sexually active is irrelevant. Because the patient is asking for birth control pills, responding that she should try NSAIDs is nontherapeutic. The patient does not need teaching about oral contraceptive side effects at this time.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
Patients with minor changes on the Pap test can be followed with Pap tests every 4 to 6 months because these changes may revert to normal. Punch biopsy or colposcopy may be used if the Pap test shows more prominent changes. The HPV vaccine may reduce the risk for cervical cancer, but it is recommended only for ages 9 through 26.

[rmenurse]

Excellent

[ktidd]

TYSM