Author Question: A patient's serum lithium level is reported as 1.9 mEq/L. The nurse should immediately: a. ... (Read 23 times)

MGLQZ · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A patient's serum lithium level is reported as 1.9 mEq/L. The nurse should immediately:

a. Restrict sodium and fluid intake.
b. Assess for signs and symptoms of toxicity.
c. Seek to have the patient transferred to ICU.
d. Notify the patient's physician immediately.

Question 2

To evaluate outcomes for a patient with schizophrenia receiving typical antipsychotic drug therapy, the nurse would look for improvement in:

a. Affective mobility
b. Positive symptoms
c. Self-care activities
d. Cognitive functioning

onowka · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
A serum lithium level this high suggests that the patient may be experiencing symptoms of lithium toxicity. Clinical assessment is essential to determine what, if any, signs and symp-toms are present. After the clinical assessment has been made, the nurse can provide the phy-sician with a complete picture. Restricting sodium and fluids would raise the serum level. Transferring may not be necessary and would require a physician's order.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Typical antipsychotic medications produce improvement in the positive symptoms of schizo-phrenia such as hallucinations and delusions. Negative symptoms and cognitive functioning tend to show less improvement.