Propranolol (Inderal) is newly prescribed for a patient diagnosed with hypertension. Which information in the patient’s history would prompt the nurse to consult with the health care provider before giving this drug?

Choice A reason: Beta blockers like metoprolol reduce heart rate and demand, improving heart failure long-term. They don’t directly reduce fluid overload causing dyspnea and fatigue, focusing instead on cardiac remodeling, not acute volume relief.

Choice B reason: Diuretics like furosemide increase urine output, reducing fluid overload in heart failure. They directly relieve dyspnea and fatigue by lowering preload and pulmonary congestion, the most effective class for these symptoms.

Choice C reason: ACE inhibitors like lisinopril ease vascular resistance, aiding heart failure. They reduce fluid indirectly via aldosterone suppression, but diuretics act faster on acute overload, making them secondary for immediate symptom relief.

Choice A reason: Auscultating lung sounds post-albuterol assesses treatment efficacy in asthma exacerbation. Reduced wheezing or improved air entry indicates bronchodilation, guiding further care, making it the priority to evaluate respiratory response immediately.

Choice B reason: Measuring temperature monitors infection, a possible asthma trigger, but it’s not the priority post-treatment. Albuterol targets acute bronchospasm, so assessing respiratory effect trumps systemic checks like fever in this moment.

Choice C reason: Encouraging ambulation is premature post-albuterol; patients need rest during exacerbation. It risks worsening dyspnea before confirming treatment success, making it less urgent than evaluating lung response to the bronchodilator.

Choice D reason: Documentation is essential but secondary to patient assessment post-treatment. Auscultating lung sounds first ensures albuterol’s effect is evaluated, as clinical response guides care before recording in the record.