Author Question: A patient with a respiratory infection asks the nurse why some antibiotics are prescribed to be ... (Read 106 times)

mikaylakyoung · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

A patient with a respiratory infection asks the nurse why some antibiotics are prescribed to be taken every 12 hours and some have to be taken 4 times a day. What is the nurse's best response?

a. The time between doses changes because any medication's half-life varies so much.
b. We need to vary the times to keep the blood values fluctuating.
c. We try to give the next dose of medication only after the last dose is gone.
d. Regular doses are given based on the half-life to maintain a therapeutic plateau.

Question 2

A 67-year-old male patient of French heritage is admitted to the hospital. The patient is interviewed by a nurse from a Korean family. The nurse did not make eye contact with the patient while conducting the interview.

This disturbed the patient because the patient thought that the nurse might be trying to hide something. Which factor most likely influenced the behavior of the nurse and patient? a. Culture
b. Validation
c. Collaborative problem
d. Defining characteristics

SamMuagrove · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
All medications have a biologic half-life, which is the time it takes for the body to lower the amount of unchanged medication by half. A drug with a short half-life (e.g., 2 to 3 hours) needs to be given more frequently than a drug with a longer half-life (e.g., 10 to 12 hours). A medication's half-life does not change with the dose of the medication; its half-life is always the same no matter how much medication is administered. To maintain a therapeutic plateau, a patient receives regular fixed doses at specific intervals that correspond with their half-life. The goal of medication administration is to achieve a therapeutic plateau, a point at which the blood level of a medication remains consistent. After an initial medication dose, the patient receives each successive dose when the previous dose reaches its half-life.

Answer to Question 2

A
Communication and culture are interrelated in the way individuals express feelings verbally and nonverbally. When a nurse learns the variations in how people of different cultures communicate, he or she will likely gather more accurate information from patients. Validation of assessment data is the comparison of data with another source to confirm accuracy. A collaborative problem is an actual or potential physiological complication that nurses monitor to detect the onset of changes in a patient's status. Defining characteristics are the clinical criteria or assessment findings that support an actual nursing diagnosis.