A nurse is caring for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. The patient is prescribed hydroxychloroquine to slow the progression of the disease. Which of the following laboratory results should the nurse monitor for this patient?

Choice A rationale:
Administering the medication without first assessing the pain could lead to inappropriate medication administration and potentially mask underlying issues. It's crucial to gather more information about the pain before providing any medication.

Choice C rationale:
While repositioning might offer some relief in certain cases, it's not the first step in pain management. A thorough assessment to understand the nature, location, and severity of the pain is essential for determining the most appropriate intervention.

Choice D rationale:
Reviewing the effects of previous pain medication is important, but it doesn't take priority over assessing the current pain. Understanding the current pain experience is necessary to make informed decisions about medication administration and other interventions.
Choice B rationale:

Determining the location of the pain is the crucial first step in pain assessment. It helps to: Identify the potential source of the pain, which can guide treatment choices.
Understand the pain's characteristics, such as its quality, intensity, and duration.
Evaluate for any associated symptoms or patterns, which can provide further insights into the underlying cause. Assess for any aggravating or alleviating factors, which can help tailor treatment strategies.
Monitor the effectiveness of interventions by comparing changes in pain location and characteristics.

Choice A rationale:
Serum creatinine is a waste product that is produced by muscle metabolism and is normally excreted by the kidneys.
When kidney function is impaired, creatinine levels in the blood increase, making it a sensitive and specific indicator of renal function.
It is considered one of the most reliable markers for assessing kidney function and is routinely used to screen for and monitor kidney disease.

Choice B rationale:
Serum sodium is an electrolyte that is regulated by the kidneys, but it is not a direct measure of renal function. Sodium levels can be affected by various factors, including fluid intake, medications, and hormonal imbalances.
While abnormal sodium levels can sometimes be a sign of kidney dysfunction, they can also occur due to other conditions, making it less specific as an indicator of renal function.
Choice C rationale:

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is another waste product that is produced by the breakdown of proteins and is normally excreted by the kidneys.
However, BUN levels can be influenced by factors other than kidney function, such as dietary protein intake, dehydration, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
This makes BUN less specific than serum creatinine as a marker of renal function.

Choice D rationale:
Urine-specific gravity measures the concentration of solutes in urine, which can provide some information about kidney function.
However, it is not as sensitive or specific as serum creatinine.
Urine-specific gravity can be affected by factors such as fluid intake and hydration status, which can make it less reliable as an indicator of renal function.