A nurse is preparing to perform a 12-lead electrocardiogram. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide to the client while applying the electrode gel pads?

Condition Most Likely Experiencing: Heart failure.

The client presents with signs and symptoms consistent with heart failure, including cardiomegaly, bibasilar pleural congestion on chest x-ray, elevated BNP level, and vital signs indicating hypertension (BP 146/98 mm Hg), tachycardia (pulse rate 106/min), and tachypnea (respirations 24/min). Additionally, the client is prescribed medications commonly used to manage heart failure, such as digoxin and carvedilol, and is receiving a diuretic (furosemide) to address fluid overload associated with heart failure.
Action to Take:

Elevate the head of the bed: Elevating the head of the bed helps reduce venous return to the heart, decreasing preload and potentially alleviating symptoms of heart failure, such as dyspnea and orthopnea. It can also help prevent aspiration in clients with compromised cardiac function. Encourage intake of a low-sodium diet: A low-sodium diet is essential in managing heart failure as it helps reduce fluid retention and edema by decreasing fluid volume overload. Sodium restriction helps minimize fluid accumulation, which is crucial in preventing exacerbations of heart failure.
Parameter to Monitor:

Urinary output: Monitoring urinary output is important in assessing fluid balance and response to diuretic therapy in clients with heart failure. Decreased urinary output may indicate worsening heart failure or inadequate response to diuretic therapy, whereas increased output may suggest over-diuresis or improvement in heart failure symptoms.
Blood pressure: Monitoring blood pressure helps assess the effectiveness of treatment in managing heart failure and controlling hypertension, a common comorbidity. Hypertension can exacerbate heart failure, so monitoring blood pressure trends helps guide adjustments in medication therapy to achieve optimal blood pressure control and improve cardiac function.

A. "Increase your intake of grapefruit juice."

Grapefruit juice can interact with many medications, including colchicine, potentially increasing the risk of adverse effects or reducing its effectiveness. Therefore, it is not recommended to increase grapefruit juice intake while taking colchicine.

B. "Expect to have increased generalized bruising." Increased bruising is not a common side effect of colchicine.

C. "Monitor for muscle pain."

Colchicine is associated with myotoxicity, which can manifest as muscle pain or weakness. Therefore, the client should be instructed to monitor for signs and symptoms of muscle pain and report them promptly to their healthcare provider.

D. "Take this medication without food if nausea develops."

While colchicine can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and vomiting, taking it without food may exacerbate these symptoms. It is generally recommended to take colchicine with food to minimize gastrointestinal upset.