A provider prescribes quetiapine 50 mg PO divided equally every 12 hr for 3 days. Available is quetiapine 25 mg tablets.
How many tablets should the nurse administer per dose on day 3? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies.
Do not use a trailing zero.)

Choice A rationale:

Protecting the client from injury is the highest priority nursing action in this scenario. Here's a detailed rationale explaining the importance of this action:

1. Imminent Risk of Harm:

Acute anxiety can significantly impair judgment and impulse control, escalating the risk of self-harm or harm to others. It's crucial to prevent any actions that could result in physical injury, even if unintended.

2. Physiological Manifestations:

Anxiety can trigger physiological responses that heighten the potential for harm, such as: Increased heart rate and blood pressure

Hyperventilation Diaphoresis

Agitation and restlessness Dissociation

These physiological changes can contribute to accidents, falls, or other injuries.

3. Impaired Decision-Making:

Acute anxiety often clouds rational thinking and decision-making abilities.

Individuals may engage in behaviors they wouldn't consider in a calmer state, such as running away, lashing out, or attempting self-harm.

The nurse's role is to safeguard the client from potential consequences of these impulsive actions.

4. Establishing Safety as a Foundation for Care:

Ensuring physical safety creates a necessary foundation for subsequent interventions.

Once safety is established, the nurse can proceed with assessing coping skills, identifying anxiety triggers, and implementing therapeutic strategies.

5. Protecting Others:

In rare cases, acute anxiety can manifest in aggression towards others.

The nurse must protect not only the client but also other individuals who may be at risk.

6. Ethical and Legal Obligations:

Nurses have a professional duty to protect clients from harm, upholding ethical principles and legal standards of care.

7. Preventing Trauma:

Physical injuries sustained during a crisis can exacerbate anxiety and complicate recovery. Proactive safety measures aim to prevent further trauma and promote healing.

I'll provide detailed rationales for the other choices in separate messages to ensure clarity and comprehensiveness.

The correct answer/s is C

Choice A rationale: Hyperkalemia, or high potassium levels in the blood, is not typically associated with anorexia nervosa. In fact, individuals with anorexia nervosa are more likely to experience hypokalemia, or low potassium levels, due to inadequate dietary intake and excessive loss of potassium through vomiting or use of diuretics1.

Choice B rationale: Metrorrhagia, or irregular menstrual bleeding between periods, can occur in females with anorexia nervosa due to hormonal imbalances caused by extreme weight loss and malnutrition. However, amenorrhea, or the absence of menstruation, is more commonly observed1.

Choice C rationale: Lanugo, which is fine, soft hair that grows on the face and body, is a common finding in individuals with anorexia nervosa. It is the body’s response to severe weight loss and starvation as an attempt to provide insulation and maintain body temperature1.

Choice D rationale: Tachycardia, or a rapid heart rate, is not typically associated with anorexia nervosa. Instead, individuals with anorexia nervosa often experience bradycardia, or a slower than normal heart rate, as the body’s response to starvation1.