Author Question: When a client who routinely takes the herb St. John's Wort (SJW) shares that his or her hay fe-ver ... (Read 23 times)

123654777 · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

When a client who routinely takes the herb St. John's Wort (SJW) shares that his or her hay fe-ver is really bad right now, the nurse initially:

a. notifies the primary care provider that the client has been self-medicating for hay fever.
b. compares the client's current blood pres-sure to his/her baseline blood pressure.
c. stresses the need to avoid over-the-counter (OTC) medications containing monoam-ines.
d. suggests that the client stop taking the herb until the hay fever has improved.

Question 2

The nurse admitting a client to a same day surgery unit makes the decision to notify the surgical team to cancel the procedure based on the client's statement that:

a. Will I start taking my St. John's wort as soon as I can eat again?
b. I've haven't taken my ginkgo for exactly 10 days.
c. I didn't want to risk catching a cold so I took my echinacea with just a sip of wa-ter.
d. It seemed strange not taking my garlic pill this morning.

Laurenleakan · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
When taking SJW, people should be warned not to take medications containing monoamines, such as medications for nasal decongestants, hay fever, and asthma, because this combination may cause hypertension. The primary care provider should not be notified until the BP monitor-ing is known. Avoiding specific OTC medications and stopping the herb is information the client should have been given prior.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Herbs that can affect bleeding and clotting time, such as garlic, ginger, ginkgo, and ginseng, should be especially noted and reported to the surgical team. There is no known surgery-related risk involved with the regular self-medication of St. John's Wort or echinacea. Ginkgo should be stopped at least 7 days prior to surgery.