A nurse is teaching a client who has active pulmonary tuberculosis about management of medication for the disease.
Which of the following statements is appropriate for the nurse to make?

The correct sequence for mixing regular insulin and NPH insulin in the same syringe is important to ensure proper dosing. The nurse should follow these steps:

1. Inject air into the NPH (intermediate-acting) insulin vial: Injecting air into the NPH vial first helps to equalize the pressure in the vial, making it easier to withdraw the insulin later. This step is done first to avoid contaminating the regular insulin vial with NPH insulin.

2. Inject air into the regular insulin vial: Next, inject an amount of air equal to the intended regular insulin dose into the regular insulin vial.This also helps to equalize the pressure and makes it easier to withdraw the insulin.

3. Withdraw the regular insulin from the vial: The nurse should withdraw the regular insulin first because it is clear and not contaminated. This prevents any NPH insulin from mixing into the regular insulin vial.

4. Withdraw the regular insulin from the vial: Finally, the nurse withdraws the NPH insulin. Since the regular insulin has already been drawn up, there is no risk of contaminating the regular insulin with NPH insulin.

This sequence ensures that you don't contaminate the vials, and you accurately withdraw the appropriate doses of each insulin type.

Nitroglycerin transdermal patches are used to prevent episodes of angina (chest pain) in people who have coronary artery disease (narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart). They work by relaxing the blood vessels so that the heart does not need to work as hard and therefore does not need as much oxygen.

Choice A is wrong because nitroglycerin transdermal patches cannot be used to treat an attack of angina once it has begun. They can only be used to prevent attacks of angina. If you have chest pain, you should use another form of nitroglycerin, such as sublingual tablets or spray.

Choice B is wrong because headache is a common side effect of nitroglycerin transdermal patches and does not mean that you should stop using them. However, you should tell your doctor if the headaches are severe or do not go away. You may also take acetaminophen to relieve the headache.

Choice D is wrong because you do not need to cover the patch with dry gauze when taking a shower. You may shower while you are wearing a nitroglycerin skin patch. If a patch loosens or falls off, replace it with a fresh one.