Author Question: A grandmother reports that her grandson has been taking an SSRI for the past month, along with St. ... (Read 38 times)

asmith134 · **on:** Jun 27, 2018

A grandmother reports that her grandson has been taking an SSRI for the past month, along with St. John's Wort. The grandmother states that there have been no changes in the adolescent's behavior.

She is concerned that the medications are just for junkies.. The mental health nurse knows that: 1. St. John's Wort can cause serotonin syndrome, so no benefit may occur.
2. The SSRI is probably the wrong medication for the adolescent.
3. The adolescent is exhibiting serotonin discontinuation syndrome
4. The SSRI needs to be stopped immediately because it is causing the adolescent more harm.

Question 2

The pediatric floor has implemented the use of Humpty Dumpty Fall Prevention Program for its patients. The nurses know to use this tool to:

1. Realize when a child is healthy and does not need to have fall monitoring.
2. Make sure the entire staff recognizes the needs of each patient.
3. Monitor a patient only after a patient has had a fall.
4. Provide a basis for safety monitoring for pediatric patients.

onowka · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 27, 2018

Answer to Question 1

1
Feedback
1. St. John's Wort can cause the SSRI to be ineffective and should be stopped.
2. Because of the use of St. John's Wort, a true assessment of the SSRI cannot be done.
3. The adolescent has not had a therapeutic effect of the SSRI because of the St. John's Wort. He is experiencing serotonin syndrome, not discontinuation syndrome.
4. The St. John's Wort needs to be discontinued, not the SSRI.

Answer to Question 2

4
Feedback
1. A fall assessment should be done on every child.
2. Only the nurse taking care of the patient needs to know. This is part of HIPAA and confidentiality.
3. The scale is a prevention mechanism and should be done prior to any chance of a fall.
4. This is a safety monitoring system for children.