A patient is given a drug for the first time and develops ...

[Destiiny22]

A patient is given a drug for the first time and develops shortness of breath. The patient's heart rate is 76 beats per minute, the respiratory rate is 20 breaths per minute, and the blood pressure is 120/70 mm Hg.
 
  The nurse checks a drug administration manual to make sure the correct dose was given and learns that some patients taking the drug experience shortness of breath. The nurse will contact the provider to report a(n):
  a. allergic reaction.
  b. idiosyncratic effect.
  c. iatrogenic response.
  d. side effect.

Question 2

A patient is taking sertraline (Zoloft) for depression, and the provider orders azithromycin (Zithromax) to treat an infection. What will the nurse do?
 
  a. Contact the provider to discuss an alternative to azithromycin.
  b. Request an order for a different antidepressant medication.
  c. Request an order to reduce the dose of sertraline.
  d. Withhold the sertraline while giving the azithromycin.

[Jane]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
A side effect is a secondary drug effect produced at therapeutic doses. This patient received the correct dose of the drug and developed shortness of breath which, in this case, is a drug side effect. To experience an allergic reaction, a patient must have prior exposure to a drug and sensitization of the immune response. An idiosyncratic effect results from a genetic predisposition to an uncommon drug response. An iatrogenic response occurs when a drug causes symptoms of a disease.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
Both sertraline and azithromycin prolong the QT interval, and when taken together, they increase the risk of fatal dysrhythmias. Because the antibiotic is used for a short time, it is correct to consider using a different antibiotic. Reducing the dose of sertraline does not alter the combined effects of two drugs that lengthen the QT interval. Sertraline should not be stopped abruptly, so withholding it during antibiotic therapy is not indicated.