This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: A patient has been receiving intravenous penicillin for pneumonia for several days and begins to ... (Read 59 times)

future617RT

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 543
A patient has been receiving intravenous penicillin for pneumonia for several days and begins to complain of generalized itching. The nurse auscultates bilateral wheezing and notes a temperature of 38.5 C (101 F).
 
  Which is the correct action by the nurse?
  a. Administer the next dose and continue to evaluate the patient's symptoms.
  b. Ask the prescriber if an antihistamine can be given to relieve the itching.
  c. Contact the prescriber to request an order for a chest radiograph.
  d. Hold the next dose and notify the prescriber of the symptoms.

Question 2

A nurse consults a drug manual before giving a medication to an 80-year-old patient. The manual states that elderly patients are at increased risk for hepatic side effects. Which action by the nurse is correct?
 
  a. Contact the provider to discuss an order for pretreatment laboratory work.
  b. Ensure that the drug is given in the correct dose at the correct time to minimize the risk of adverse effects.
  c. Notify the provider that this drug is contraindicated for this patient.
  d. Request an order to give the medication intravenously so that the drug does not pass through the liver.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

gstein359

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Pruritus and wheezing are signs of a possible allergic reaction, which can be fatal; therefore, the medication should not be given and the prescriber should be notified. When patients are having a potentially serious reaction to a medication, the nurse should not continue giving the medication. Antihistamines may help the symptoms of an allergic reaction, but the first priority is to stop the medication. Obtaining a chest radiograph is not helpful.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
The drug manual indicates that this drug should be given with caution to elderly patients. Getting information about liver function before giving the drug establishes baseline data that can be compared with post-treatment data to determine whether the drug is affecting the liver. Giving the correct dose at the correct interval helps to minimize risk, but without baseline information, the effects cannot be determined. The drug is not contraindicated.





 

Did you know?

Amphetamine poisoning can cause intravascular coagulation, circulatory collapse, rhabdomyolysis, ischemic colitis, acute psychosis, hyperthermia, respiratory distress syndrome, and pericarditis.

Did you know?

Hip fractures are the most serious consequences of osteoporosis. The incidence of hip fractures increases with each decade among patients in their 60s to patients in their 90s for both women and men of all populations. Men and women older than 80 years of age show the highest incidence of hip fractures.

Did you know?

Automated pill dispensing systems have alarms to alert patients when the correct dosing time has arrived. Most systems work with many varieties of medications, so patients who are taking a variety of drugs can still be in control of their dose regimen.

Did you know?

Inotropic therapy does not have a role in the treatment of most heart failure patients. These drugs can make patients feel and function better but usually do not lengthen the predicted length of their lives.

Did you know?

Most strokes are caused when blood clots move to a blood vessel in the brain and block blood flow to that area. Thrombolytic therapy can be used to dissolve the clot quickly. If given within 3 hours of the first stroke symptoms, this therapy can help limit stroke damage and disability.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library