A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for acetaminophen about the signs of overdose.
Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

The correct answers are: B) Assess the client’s liver function tests, D) Ask the client about any allergies, and E) Monitor the client’s temperature.

Choice A rationale:

Checking the client’s blood pressure is not a standard action specifically related to administering acetaminophen. While monitoring vital signs is important, blood pressure is not directly affected by acetaminophen.

Choice B rationale:

Assessing the client’s liver function tests is crucial because acetaminophen is metabolized by the liver. High doses or prolonged use can lead to hepatotoxicity, so it’s important to ensure the liver is functioning properly.

Choice C rationale:

Verifying the dosage with another nurse is typically required for high-risk medications, such as insulin or anticoagulants, but not for acetaminophen. However, it is always good practice to double-check dosages independently.

Choice D rationale:

Asking the client about any allergies is essential before administering any medication, including acetaminophen, to prevent allergic reactions.

Choice E rationale:

Monitoring the client’s temperature is important to evaluate the effectiveness of acetaminophen in reducing fever. This helps in assessing whether the medication is achieving its intended therapeutic effect.

Acetaminophen works by blocking prostaglandins in your brain, but not in your peripheral tissues. Prostaglandins are substances that cause pain and inflammation. By blocking them in the brain, acetaminophen reduces the perception of pain, but does not affect the inflammation in the joints.

Choice B is wrong because acetaminophen does not inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme, which is involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins. COX-2 inhibitors are a different class of drugs that can reduce both pain and inflammation.

Choice C is wrong because acetaminophen does not decrease the production of leukotrienes, which are another type of inflammatory mediators. Leukotriene inhibitors are used to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Choice D is wrong because acetaminophen does not reduce the activity of natural killer cells, which are part of the immune system and can destroy infected or abnormal cells.

Natural killer cells are not directly related to pain or inflammation.