Author Question: A nurse cares for a male client with hypopituitarism who is prescribed testosterone hormone ... (Read 56 times)

tsand2 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A nurse cares for a male client with hypopituitarism who is prescribed testosterone hormone replacement therapy. The client asks, How long will I need to take this medication? How should the nurse respond?

a. When your blood levels of testosterone are normal, the therapy is no longer needed.
b. When your beard thickens and your voice deepens, the dose is decreased, but treatment will continue forever.
c. When your sperm count is high enough to demonstrate fertility, you will no longer need this therapy.
d. With age, testosterone levels naturally decrease, so the medication can be stopped when you are 50 years old.

Question 2

A nurse cares for a client after a pituitary gland stimulation test using insulin. The client's post-stimulation laboratory results indicate elevated levels of growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). How should the nurse interpret thes

a. Pituitary hypofunction
b. Pituitary hyperfunction
c. Pituitary-induced diabetes mellitus
d. Normal pituitary response to insulin

mcni194 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Testosterone therapy is initiated with high-dose testosterone derivatives and is continued until virilization is achieved. The dose is then decreased, but therapy continues throughout life. Therapy will continue throughout life; therefore, it will not be discontinued when blood levels are normal, at the age of 50 years, or when sperm counts are high.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Some tests for pituitary function involve administering agents that are known to stimulate the secretion of specific pituitary hormones and then measuring the response. Such tests are termed stimulation tests. The stimulation test for GH or ACTH assessment involves injecting the client with regular insulin (0.05 to 1 unit/kg of body weight) and checking circulating levels of GH and ACTH. The presence of insulin in clients with normal pituitary function causes increased release of GH and ACTH.