A patient reports taking psyllium (Metamucil) every morning to ...

[ssal]

A patient reports taking psyllium (Metamucil) every morning to prevent constipation. What is the nurse's best action?
 
  a. Remind the patient that over-the-counter laxatives should not be taken for more than one week.
  b. Instruct the patient that long-term use of psyllium can cause health problems.
  c. Hold the drug and notify the prescriber immediately.
  d. Document this information as the only action.

Question 2

A patient prescribed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is flying to a wedding and will be gone 1 day. The patient asks about skipping prescribed drug doses that day in order to avoid having to show them all at the airport.
 
  What is the nurse's best response? a. Yes, just one day off your drugs will not make any difference.
  b. Yes, as long as you avoid direct contact with anyone who is ill.
  c. No, even one day off the drugs can help the virus become drug resistant.
  d. No, even one day off the drugs increases the chance that you can spread the dis-ease.

[sylvia]

Answer to Question 1

D
Psyllium is a bulk-forming laxative and can be used once a day to help prevent constipation. Bulk-forming laxatives are the one exception to the rule that laxatives should not be used long-term. These drugs are not absorbed from the intestines into the body and are safe for long-term use.

Answer to Question 2

C
An important issue with HAART is the development of drug-resistant mutations in the human immunodeficiency virus organism. When resistance develops, viral replication is no longer sup-pressed by the drugs. Several factors contribute to the development of drug resistance to HAART, with the most important being missed doses of drugs. When doses are missed, the blood concentrations become lower than what is needed to inhibit viral replication, allowing the virus to replicate and produce new viruses that are resistant to the drugs being used.

[ssal]

TYSM

[alvinum]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it