Author Question: A patient began antiretroviral therapy several weeks ago for the treatment of HIV, and he has now ... (Read 55 times)

jenna1 · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

A patient began antiretroviral therapy several weeks ago for the treatment of HIV, and he has now presented to the clinic for a scheduled follow-up appointment.

He states to the nurse, I've been pretty good about taking all my pills on time, though it was a bit hit and miss over the holiday weekend. How should the nurse best respond to this patient's statement? A) Remember that if you miss a dose, you need to take a double dose at the next scheduled time.
B) It's acceptable to miss an occasional dose as long as your symptoms don't get worse, but it's not really recommended.
C) Remember that your antiretroviral drugs will only be effective if you take them very consistently.
D) If you're not consistent with taking your medications, you're likely to develop more side effects.

Question 2

A patient in his mid-30s has received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Following his diagnosis, he has been meeting with a nurse regularly as well as performing extensive online research.

Which of the patient's statements should prompt the nurse to perform further teaching? A) I don't like getting this diagnosis, but I know that treatment now can prevent future health consequences.
B) I'm disappointed, but I take some solace in the fact that I won't ever have to have insulin injections.
C) People always tried to encourage me to lose weight, and I suppose they might have been right.
D) From what I've learned, I know that the basic problem is that my pancreas can't keep up with my insulin needs.

af · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

C
Feedback:
Effective treatment of HIV infection requires close adherence to drug therapy regimens involving several drugs and daily doses. Missing as few as one or two doses can decrease blood levels of antiretroviral drugs and result in increased HIV replication and development of drug-resistant viral strains.

Answer to Question 2

B
Feedback:
Among people with type 2 diabetes, 20 to 30 require exogenous insulin at some point in their lives. Obesity is a major cause, and vigilant treatment can prevent future sequelae. The essence of type 2 diabetes is the pancreas' inability to meet insulin needs.