A nurse is collecting data from a client who has been taking diazepam several times per day but recently ran out of the medication.
Which of the following findings should the nurse recognize as a manifestation of withdrawal from diazepam?

Choice A rationale:

Asking the client to demonstrate dose delivery can be part of patient education and helps ensure that the client understands how to use the PCA device. This action does not require intervention.

Choice B rationale:

The nurse administering a PCA dose for the client requires intervention. PCA stands for “Patient-Controlled Analgesia,” meaning that only the patient should administer doses to themselves. This prevents overdosing and ensures that pain medication is administered according to the patient’s needs.

Choice C rationale:

Reassuring the client that the PCA device will not cause an overdose is appropriate because PCA devices are designed with safety measures to prevent overdosing.

Choice D rationale:

Monitoring for oversedation is an important part of care for a client using a PCA device. This action does not require intervention.

Choice A rationale:

AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) is a liver enzyme and its levels are used to assess liver function, not the effectiveness of epoetin alfa.

Choice B rationale:

Troponin is a cardiac marker used to diagnose heart attacks. It has no relation with the effectiveness of epoetin alfa.

Choice C rationale:

T4 (Thyroxine) is a thyroid hormone. Its levels indicate thyroid function, not the effectiveness of epoetin alfa.

Choice D rationale:

Hgb (Hemoglobin) levels are used to assess the effectiveness of epoetin alfa. Epoetin alfa is a medication that stimulates the production of red blood cells, thereby increasing hemoglobin levels in the blood. Normal hemoglobin levels are 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL in men and 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL in women.