A nurse is educating a client who has been prescribed phenelzine, an MAOI, for treatment-resistant depression. Which of the following instructions is most critical to prevent potentially life-threatening complications associated with this medication?
Avoid foods high in tyramine, such as aged cheeses, smoked meats, and fermented products.
Use over-the-counter cold medications containing pseudoephedrine cautiously.
Take the medication with food to minimize gastrointestinal upset.
Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until the effects are known.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: The most critical teaching with MAOIs is to avoid foods containing tyramine. Eating these foods can trigger a hypertensive crisis, a potentially fatal complication.
Choice B reason: Cold medications with pseudoephedrine may also increase blood pressure and should be avoided, but dietary restrictions are more essential because food exposure is more common and life-threatening if overlooked.
Choice C reason: Taking the medication with food may reduce mild gastrointestinal side effects, but this is not the priority safety teaching.
Choice D reason: Avoiding hazardous activities until medication effects are known is general advice for many psychotropic drugs, but it is not specific or lifesaving for MAOI therapy.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Forcibly removing the client escalates anxiety and can increase resistance. This action does not support therapeutic management of OCD.
Choice B reason: Providing a clear, respectful, and time-limited reminder supports structure and helps the client redirect behavior without confrontation. It balances therapeutic boundaries with empathy.
Choice C reason: Dismissing the client’s concern as unreasonable invalidates their experience, increasing defensiveness and mistrust. This does not support treatment goals.
Choice D reason: Avoiding the problem by redirecting the roommate fails to address the client’s compulsive behavior and disrupts the care environment.
Correct Answer is ["C","E"]
Explanation
Choice A reason: Propranolol is a beta-blocker primarily used for performance-related anxiety and physical symptoms like tremors or palpitations. It is not considered first-line or standard treatment for panic disorder.
Choice B reason: Clonidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist used more often for hypertension, withdrawal syndromes, and sometimes ADHD. It is not a recommended pharmacologic option for panic disorder.
Choice C reason: Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine, is effective for acute management of panic attacks by rapidly reducing anxiety. However, it is generally used short-term due to risks of tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal.
Choice D reason: Buspirone is an anxiolytic used mainly for generalized anxiety disorder. It lacks efficacy in panic disorder and is not typically prescribed for it.
Choice E reason: Clonazepam, another benzodiazepine, is often used to manage panic disorder due to its longer half-life compared to alprazolam, making it effective in reducing frequency and severity of panic attacks.
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