A client has been diagnosed with major depression and placed on amitriptyline. Which is a side effect of amitriptyline?

A. Anhedonia is a symptom commonly associated with depression, characterized by a decreased ability to experience pleasure or interest in activities.

B. Aphasia is a language disorder that affects the ability to communicate. It may involve difficulty in speaking, understanding language, reading, or writing. This is not demonstrated in the scenario.

C. Akathisia is a side effect of some antipsychotic medications characterized by a feeling of inner restlessness and the need to move constantly. It is not demonstrated in the scenario.

D. Agnosia is a symptom of dementia characterized by the inability to recognize familiar objects, people, or places, despite the senses being intact. In this scenario, the client's inability to recognize that their glasses are not a form of identification indicates agnosia.

A. Kidney function studies While monitoring kidney function is important for clients on certain medications, it is not the primary laboratory test for monitoring clozapine. Clozapine is associated with agranulocytosis, which affects white blood cell count.

B. Red blood cell count Monitoring red blood cell count is not the primary concern when a client is prescribed clozapine. The main concern with clozapine is agranulocytosis, which affects white blood cells.

C. Liver function studies While liver function is important to monitor with some medications, it is not the primary laboratory test for monitoring clozapine. The primary concern with clozapine is agranulocytosis, which affects white blood cell count.

D. White blood cell count Clozapine is associated with agranulocytosis, a potentially life- threatening condition characterized by a severe decrease in white blood cells. Regular
monitoring of white blood cell count is crucial to detect and prevent this adverse effect. This test should be performed before starting clozapine and regularly throughout treatment. If the white blood cell count drops significantly, clozapine may need to be discontinued. This makes it the
most important laboratory study to monitor when a client is prescribed clozapine.