Author Question: The nurse is teaching a patient who will be discharged home from the hospital to take amoxicillin ... (Read 85 times)

jilianpiloj · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

The nurse is teaching a patient who will be discharged home from the hospital to take amoxicillin (Amoxil) twice daily for 10 days. Which statement by the nurse is correct?

a. Discontinue the antibiotic when your temperature returns to normal and your symptoms have improved.
b. If diarrhea occurs, stop taking the drug immediately and contact your provider.
c. Stop taking the drug and notify your provider if you develop a rash while taking this drug.
d. You may save any unused antibiotic to use if your symptoms recur.

Question 2

The nurse is preparing to administer the first dose of an antibiotic to a patient admitted for a urinary tract infection. Which action is most important prior to administering the antibiotic?

a. Administering a small test dose to determine whether hypersensitivity exists
b. Having epinephrine available in the event of a severe hypersensitivity reaction
c. Monitoring baseline vital signs, including temperature and blood pressure
d. Obtaining a specimen for culture and sensitivity

diesoon · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Patients who develop signs of allergy, such as rash, should notify their provider before continuing medication therapy. Patients should be counseled to continue taking their antibiotics until completion of the prescribed regimen even when they feel well. Diarrhea is an adverse effect but does not warrant cessation of the drug. Before deciding to stop taking a medication due to a side effect, encourage the patient to contact the provider first. Patients should discard any unused antibiotic.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
To obtain the most accurate culture, the specimen should be obtained before antibiotic therapy begins. It is important to obtain cultures when possible in order to correctly identify the organism and help determine which antibiotic will be most effective. Administering test doses to determine hypersensitivity is sometimes done when there is a strong suspicion of allergy when a particular antibiotic is needed. Epinephrine is kept close at hand when there is a strong suspicion of allergy.