A patient prescribed donepezil (Aricept) is to
have surgery requiring general anesthesia. Her husband tells you that he read that taking this drug while having surgery can be dangerous. What is your best response?
a. Because of the action of donepezil, she may awaken more slowly and may need to remain in the postanesthesia care unit for a longer period of time.
b. Let me contact your surgeon because the danger of taking donepezil and having general anesthesia is that she may have a massive heart attack.
c. I don't think there is any danger because if there was your surgeon would certainly have discontinued use of this drug until after the surgery.
d. The most dangerous risk is that after the surgery your wife may lose her ability to swallow and aspirate food or medications, ending up with aspiration pneumonia.
Question 2
A patient who has been prescribed carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet) informs you that a dark spot on his arm is getting larger. What is your best action?
a. Measure the size of the spot and document the finding.
b. Inform the patient that this is an expected side effect of the drug.
c. Administer the drug as ordered by the prescriber.
d. Hold the drug and contact the prescriber about this change.
Surgery
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Skilled nursing facilities provide care for patients requiring longer stays than hospitals allow.
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