Author Question: A health care provider prescribes aspirin 650 mg every 4 hours PO when febrile. For which patient ... (Read 89 times)

a0266361136 · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

A health care provider prescribes aspirin 650 mg every 4 hours PO when febrile. For which patient will this order be appropriate?

a. 7 year old with a bleeding disorder
b. 21 year old with a sprained ankle
c. 35 year old with a severe headache from hypertension
d. 62 year old with a high fever from an infection

Question 2

A registered nurse interprets that a scribbled medication order reads 25 mg. The nurse administers 25 mg of the medication to a patient and then discovers that the dose was incorrectly interpreted and should have been 15 mg.

Who is ultimately responsible for the error?
a. Health care provider
b. Pharmacist
c. Hospital
d. Nurse

akpaschal · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Aspirin is an analgesic, an antipyretic, and an anti-inflammatory medication. The provider wrote the medication to be given for a fever (febrile). Fevers are common in infections. If a child is bleeding, aspirin would be contraindicated; aspirin increases the likelihood of bleeding. Although it can be used for inflammatory problems (sprained ankle) and pain/analgesia (severe headache), this is not how the order was written.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Ultimately, the person administering the medication is responsible for ensuring that it is correct. The nurse administered the medication, so in this case it is the nurse. Accept full accountability and responsibility for all actions surrounding the administration of medications. Do not assume that a medication that is ordered for a patient is the correct medication or the correct dose. This is the importance of verifying the six rights of medication administration. The ultimate responsibility and accountability are with the nurse, not the health care provider, pharmacist, or hospital.