A patient who is taking furosemide (Lasix) and digoxin will begin ...

[kodithompson]

A patient who is taking furosemide (Lasix) and digoxin will begin taking captopril (Capoten). The nurse is providing information about the drug. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?
 
  a. I can use acetaminophen for analgesia if needed.
  b. I should stop taking the Lasix about a week before starting the Capoten.
  c. I should take this medication on a full stomach.
  d. I will need to have blood tests done every 2 weeks for a few months.

Question 2

A patient who has been taking an antihypertensive medication for several years is recovering from a myocardial infarction. The prescriber changes the patient's medication to an ACE inhibitor.
 
  The patient asks the nurse why a new drug is necessary. What is the nurse's response?
  a. ACE inhibitors can prevent or reverse pathologic changes in the heart's structure.
  b. ACE inhibitors help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.
  c. ACE inhibitors increase venous return to the heart, improving cardiac output.
  d. ACE inhibitors regulate electrolytes that affect the cardiac rhythm.

[carolinefletcherr]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Most oral formulations of ACE inhibitors may be given without regard for meals; captopril and moexipril, however, should be given 1 hour before meals. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications should be avoided; acetaminophen is not contraindicated. Patients taking diuretics should stop taking them 1 week before starting an ACE inhibitor to minimize the risk of hypotension. A WBC with differential should be evaluated at baseline and, after treatment starts, every 2 weeks for several months to monitor for neutropenia.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
ACE inhibitors have many advantages over other antihypertensive medications, the most important of which is their ability to prevent or reverse pathologic changes in the heart and reduce the risk of cardiac mortality caused by hypertension. They are useful in patients with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, but they do not directly affect this comorbidity. They reduce venous return to the heart, thereby reducing right heart size. They do not alter serum electrolyte levels.

[kodithompson]

Excellent

[lcapri7]

TYSM