A nurse is preparing to administer prednisone to a client for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Which of the following findings indicates to the nurse the treatment is effective?

A. Instruct to resume regular activities such as driving. It is not safe to instruct the client to resume activities like driving immediately, especially at the beginning of lithium therapy, as lithium can cause side effects that may impair the client's ability to safely perform tasks such as driving.

B. Administer lithium before meals. Lithium is typically taken with food to minimize gastrointestinal upset. Administering it before meals may increase the risk of side effects like nausea.

C. Withhold if serum level is less than 1.5 mEq. Lithium should be withheld if the serum level is above the therapeutic range (typically 0.6–1.2 mEq/L), as higher levels can lead to toxicity. Withholding lithium if the level is less than 1.5 mEq/L is incorrect and could lead to inadequate treatment.

D. Instruct to avoid breastfeeding. Lithium is excreted in breast milk and can pose a risk to the infant, so the client should be advised against breastfeeding while on lithium therapy.

A. Tolerance: Tolerance occurs when an individual requires increasing amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect. This can explain why a person with a high blood alcohol level might not appear intoxicated if they have developed tolerance.

B. Addiction: Addiction is a chronic disease involving compulsive substance use. While related to tolerance, addiction itself does not specifically explain the lack of observable intoxication symptoms.

C. Alcoholism: Alcoholism is a condition involving dependency on alcohol. It can involve tolerance, but the term "alcoholism" does not specifically address the immediate observation of high alcohol levels without visible intoxication.

D. Relapse: Relapse refers to returning to substance use after a period of abstinence. It does not specifically explain the lack of visible intoxication despite high blood alcohol levels.