A nurse is preparing a client for discharge home after an admission for bilateral pulmonary emboli. The client is prescribed warfarin in addition to regular daily medications. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Advise the client that over-the-counter medications remain safe to consume as needed.
Consult the pharmacist about potential interactions between the client’s regular medications and warfarin.
Recommend the client take warfarin at the same time as other medications.
Tell the client they can continue to drink cranberry juice while taking warfarin.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A reason: Advising over-the-counter medications as safe is incorrect, as many, like NSAIDs, increase warfarin’s bleeding risk by inhibiting platelets or affecting liver metabolism. Warfarin’s narrow therapeutic index requires careful management to prevent hemorrhage, making broad safety claims dangerous without specific evaluation.
Choice B reason: Consulting the pharmacist identifies interactions with warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist metabolized by CYP450 enzymes. Many drugs alter warfarin’s efficacy, risking thrombosis or bleeding. Pharmacist expertise ensures safe polypharmacy, maintaining therapeutic INR levels critical for managing pulmonary emboli effectively.
Choice C reason: Recommending warfarin with other medications ignores interaction risks and timing needs. Warfarin’s absorption is unaffected by timing, but CYP450 interactions can alter INR. This advice is irrelevant to safety, missing the need for individualized regimen assessment to prevent complications in anticoagulation therapy.
Choice D reason: Cranberry juice may enhance warfarin’s effect by inhibiting CYP2C9, increasing INR and bleeding risk. Advising its use without monitoring is unsafe, as dietary factors can destabilize anticoagulation, potentially causing hemorrhage in clients with pulmonary emboli, requiring careful dietary guidance.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Preparing for a paracentesis is inappropriate, as abdominal distention post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy is typically due to retained carbon dioxide from insufflation, not ascites. Paracentesis is invasive and unnecessary, risking complications without addressing the cause, making it an incorrect intervention for this scenario.
Choice B reason: Assisting the client to ambulate promotes the expulsion of residual gas used during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, relieving abdominal distention. Early mobility enhances circulation, reduces bloating, and prevents complications like ileus, aligning with postoperative care guidelines, making it the most effective and appropriate action.
Choice C reason: Inserting a rectal suppository is not indicated, as distention is likely from gas, not constipation, immediately post-cholecystectomy. Suppositories may cause discomfort without resolving gas-related bloating. This intervention is premature and misaligned with the cause, making it inappropriate.
Choice D reason: Placing the client in the prone position may worsen discomfort from abdominal distention by compressing the abdomen, trapping gas. Upright or walking positions facilitate gas movement and relief. This position is counterproductive, making it an incorrect choice for managing post-surgical distention.
Correct Answer is ["A","B","C","D"]
Explanation
Choice A reason: Suctioning the ET removes secretions obstructing airflow, increasing peak airway pressure. Mucus buildup narrows the airway, triggering alarms. Clearing secretions restores patency, reduces pressure, and prevents complications like atelectasis or hypoxia, critical for effective ventilation in mechanically ventilated clients.
Choice B reason: Verifying ET placement ensures the tube is in the trachea. Misplacement, like esophageal intubation, increases airway resistance, elevating peak pressure. Confirmation via capnography or X-ray prevents hypoxia, ensuring proper ventilation and safety in clients on mechanical ventilators.
Choice C reason: Checking for kinks in ventilator tubing addresses mechanical obstructions raising peak airway pressure. Kinks restrict airflow, triggering alarms. Straightening tubing restores normal gas delivery, reducing resistance and maintaining effective ventilation, preventing hypoxia in mechanically ventilated clients.
Choice D reason: Administering a bronchodilator relieves bronchospasm, a common cause of high peak airway pressure. Bronchoconstriction narrows airways, increasing resistance. Bronchodilators relax smooth muscles, improving airflow and reducing pressure, addressing reversible causes like asthma in ventilated clients.
Choice E reason: Increasing tidal volume exacerbates high peak airway pressure, risking barotrauma or lung injury by forcing air against resistance. Addressing underlying causes like secretions or bronchospasm is safer, as higher volumes do not resolve the root issue, potentially worsening outcomes.
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