On admission to the acute care unit a patient
tells you that she stopped taking her prescribed clonazepam (Klonopin) 2 days ago. What is your best first action?
a. Ask the patient why she stopped taking the clonazepam.
b. Administer a dose of clonazepam immediately.
c. Document this information as the only action.
d. Notify the prescriber and watch for seizures.
Question 2
What is the advantage of treating a patient with anxiety with a benzodiazepine drug rather than a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)?
a. Benzodiazepines are not likely to cause patient dependence when used for an extended period of time.
b. Benzodiazepines have milder side effects and almost no adverse effect when compared with SSRIs.
c. Benzodiazepines control anxiety and allow patients to live a relatively normal lifestyle.
d. Benzodiazepines act to treat anxiety within 30 minutes and can be given on an as-needed basis.
Critical thinking and implementing care
Patient wearing an abularm
It is important to act concerned when a patient is upset.
Scheduling patient appointments by telephone.
Calipers being used to measure body fat on the triceps of a patient.
Koplik spots in the mouth of a patient with measles.