A nurse is planning care for a client who has angina and a new prescription for nitroglycerin ointment.
Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Choice A rationale:

“You must rinse your mouth out after each dose.” This is incorrect. Rinsing the mouth after each dose is usually recommended for inhaled corticosteroids, not oral prednisone.

Choice B rationale:

“You should take this medication on an empty stomach.” This is incorrect. Prednisone should be taken with food to prevent stomach upset.

Choice C rationale:

“You should take a calcium supplement while taking this medication.” This is correct because long-term use of prednisone can lead to bone loss (osteoporosis) Taking a calcium supplement can help protect bone health.

Choice D rationale:

“You can expect some weight loss with this medication.” This is incorrect. Weight gain, not weight loss, is a common side effect of long-term prednisone use.

Choice A rationale:

Hoarseness of voice can be a symptom of an allergic reaction, indicating swelling and inflammation in the throat. If the client’s voice is no longer hoarse after taking diphenhydramine, it suggests that the medication has been effective in reducing this symptom.

Choice B rationale:

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine and can often cause drowsiness as a side effect. Therefore, feeling more alert would not typically indicate that the medication has been effective.

Choice C rationale:

While headaches can sometimes be associated with allergic reactions, they are not a primary symptom that diphenhydramine targets. Therefore, absence of a headache does not necessarily indicate effectiveness of the medication.

Choice D rationale:

Increased appetite is not typically associated with the effectiveness of diphenhydramine in treating allergic reactions.