A nurse is preparing to administer a drug. Upon reading the ...

[Kthamas]

A nurse is preparing to administer a drug. Upon reading the medication guide, the nurse notes that the drug has been linked to symptoms of Parkinson's disease in some patients. What will the nurse do?
 
  a. Ask the patient to report these symptoms, which are known to be teratogenic effects.
  b. Observe the patient closely for such symptoms and prepare to treat them if needed.
  c. Request an order to evaluate the patient's genetic predisposition to this effect.
  d. Warn the patient about these effects and provide reassurance that this is expected.

Question 2

A patient who wants to quit smoking has begun taking varenicline Chantix. The patient reports experiencing mood swings and depression and a desire to cause harm to herself. What will the nurse tell this patient?
 
  a. These symptoms are common and will disappear over time.
  b. These symptoms may indicate an under-lying psychiatric disorder.
  c. You may need an increased dose to overcome these symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
  d. You should notify your provider of these symptoms immediately.

[tsternbergh47]

Answer to Question 1

B
A drug that causes disease-like symptoms is known to be iatrogenic. Nurses should be prepared for this possibility and be prepared to withdraw the drug if necessary and treat the symptoms. Such effects are not teratogenic. Patients with a genetic predisposition to respond differently to drugs are known to have idiosyncratic effects. Iatrogenic effects, even when known, are not typ-ically expected side effects.

Answer to Question 2

D
Varenicline can cause serious neuropsychiatric effects, including mood swings, depression, and self-injurious behavior. Because suicidality is a risk, patients experiencing these effects should contact their provider immediately. The symptoms are not common and are not likely to abate. It is not known if these symptoms indicate an underlying disorder or if the drug causes the symp-toms. Increasing the dose will increase the symptoms, since they are related to the drug.