A nurse is preparing to administer subcutaneous heparin to a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

The client has a negative sputum culture. This indicates that the client is adhering to the medication regimen because a negative sputum culture means that the client is no longer infectious and has cleared the tuberculosis bacteria from their lungs.

Choice A is wrong because testing negative for HIV does not indicate that the client is adhering to the medication regimen for tuberculosis. HIV testing is not related to tuberculosis treatment.

Choice C is wrong because having a positive purified protein derivative test does not indicate that the client is adhering to the medication regimen for tuberculosis.

A positive PPD test means that the client has been exposed to tuberculosis, but it does not indicate whether the client has an active or latent infection. Choice D is wrong because having liver function test results within the expected reference range does not indicate that the client is adhering to the medication regimen for tuberculosis.

Liver function tests are used to monitor for possible adverse effects of isoniazid and rifampin, which can cause hepatotoxicity, but they do not reflect the effectiveness of the treatment.

This is because hydromorphone is a controlled substance and any unused portion should be discarded in the presence of a witness. Some possible explanations for the other choices are:

Choice A is wrong because storing the remaining half of the pill in the automated medication dispensing system could lead to errors in dosage or diversion of the drug.

Choice C is wrong because returning the remaining medication to the facility’s pharmacy is not a recommended practice for controlled substances and could also result in errors or diversion.

Choice D is wrong because placing the remaining half of the pill in the unit-dose package could compromise the integrity and stability of the medication and expose it to environmental factors.

Normal ranges for hydromorphone are not applicable as it is a synthetic opioid analgesic that does not have a therapeutic level.

However, some factors that may affect its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are age, weight, renal function, liver function, genetic polymorphisms, and drug interactions.