The nurse is discharging a 35-year-old patient with diabetes who ...

[Redwolflake15]

The nurse is discharging a 35-year-old patient with diabetes who has been prescribed an adrenergic blocking agent. What is the priority teaching point for the nurse to discuss with this patient?
 
  A) Monitor blood glucose levels closely and report any instability
  B) Document signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia
  C) Reduce carbohydrate intake more than usual while taking the new drug
  D) Increase insulin dosage to compensate for the drug's effect in increasing blood sugar

Question 2

The patient is taking a 2-mg dose of ropinerol XR. The drug has a half-life of 12 hours. How long will it be before only 0.25 mg of this drug remains in the patient's system?
 
  A) 24 hours
  B) 36 hours
  C) 48 hours
  D) 60 hours

[joewallace]

Answer to Question 1

A
Feedback:
It is important for the patient to be instructed to monitor blood sugar levels more frequently because adrenergic blocking agents mask the normal hypo- and hyperglycemic manifestations that normally alert patients such as sweating, feeling tense, increased heart rate, and rapid breathing. There is no need to change the diet or the diabetic medications. There may be no signs and symptoms to record because they are blocked by the adrenergic blocker.

Answer to Question 2

B
Feedback:
The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to half of the peak level it previously achieved. At 12 hours there will be 1 mg of the drug available to the body. At 24 hours there will be 0.5 mg; at 36 hours there will be 0.25 mg; at 48 hours there will be 0.125 mg, and at 60 hours there will be 0.0625 mg.

[Redwolflake15]

Thanks

[joewallace]

Welcome