Patients should be advised not to overuse laxatives, because the smooth muscle in the colon can lose its tone. What condition should the nurse warn the client can occur if this happens?

A) Chronic diarrhea:
Overuse of laxatives is more likely to lead to chronic constipation rather than chronic diarrhea. Laxatives are typically used to treat constipation by promoting bowel movements, but overuse can disrupt normal bowel function and result in long-term constipation.

B) Chronic constipation.
Overuse of laxatives can lead to dependence on laxatives for bowel movements and can cause the smooth muscle in the colon to become less responsive to normal stimuli, resulting in decreased muscle tone. This can eventually lead to chronic constipation, where the colon becomes less effective at moving stool through the digestive tract, resulting in infrequent or difficult bowel movements.

C) Frequent vomiting:
Overuse of laxatives does not typically lead to frequent vomiting. Vomiting is more commonly associated with conditions affecting the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as gastroenteritis, gastritis, or other gastrointestinal disorders.

D) Chronic nausea:
Overuse of laxatives may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or upset stomach, but it is not typically associated with chronic nausea. Chronic nausea may be caused by various factors such as gastrointestinal disorders, medications, or other underlying medical conditions unrelated to laxative use.

A. Hypotension: Norepinephrine is administered to treat hypotension, so monitoring for hypotension is not typically a concern while the patient is receiving this medication. In fact, hypotension is often the reason for administering norepinephrine in the first place.

B. Liver failure: Monitoring for signs of liver failure may be important in patients receiving certain medications, but it is not a specific consideration when administering norepinephrine. Norepinephrine primarily affects blood pressure regulation and does not typically have direct effects on liver function.

C. Bradycardia: While norepinephrine can increase blood pressure by constricting blood vessels, it may also cause reflex bradycardia (a decrease in heart rate) as a compensatory response. However, the primary concern with norepinephrine administration is hypertension, not bradycardia.

D. Hypertension
Norepinephrine (Levophed) is a vasopressor medication commonly used to treat hypotension and shock. It works by constricting blood vessels, which increases blood pressure. Therefore, when administering norepinephrine, the nurse should monitor the patient for hypertension, as the medication's intended effect is to raise blood pressure.