The health care provider orders a trough level of an antibiotic administered every twenty four hours.
When should the nurse plan for a trough level to be drawn?
Every morning at 08:00AM (0800).
Halfway between next scheduled dose.
Just prior to next scheduled dose.
Two hours after a scheduled dose.
The Correct Answer is C
Just prior to the next scheduled dose. A trough level is the lowest concentration of a drug in the blood, and it is measured just before the next dose is due to be administered.
This helps to ensure that the drug level does not fall below the therapeutic range or rise above the toxic range.
Choice A is wrong because every morning at 08:00 AM (0800) is not a consistent time interval for a drug that is administered every twenty-four hours.
The trough level should be measured at the same time before each dose.
Choice B is wrong because halfway between next scheduled dose is not a trough level, but a midpoint level.
This does not reflect the lowest concentration of the drug in the blood.
Choice D is wrong because two hours after a scheduled dose is not a trough level, but a peak level. This is the highest concentration of the drug in the blood, and it is measured after the drug has been absorbed and distributed. Peak levels are no longer routinely recommended for vancomycin.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Formed stool two times per day, every day, for one week. This indicates that bowel training is attaining the desired outcome because it shows regularity and consistency of bowel movements without the use of laxatives or enemas.
Choice B is wrong because soap sud enemas are not recommended for bowel training as they can irritate the bowel and cause fluid and electrolyte imbalance.
Choice C is wrong because continued use of laxatives can inhibit the natural defecation reflexes and cause dependency.
Choice D is wrong because a formed, soft stool at regular intervals without the use of a laxative is a normal defecation pattern, not an indication of fecal incontinence.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
The client on Digitalis has a low potassium level of 3.0 mEq/L, below the normal range of 3.5-5.0 mEq/L. Low potassium levels can increase the risk of digitalis toxicity, which can cause nausea, abdominal discomfort, visual changes, and cardiac arrhythmias.
The nurse would instruct the client to eat foods high in potassium, such as cantaloupe, to prevent or correct hypokalemia.
Choice A. Asparagus is wrong because asparagus is a low-potassium food that contains only 202 mg of potassium per cup.
Eating asparagus would not help to raise the client’s potassium level.
Choice C. Blackberries are wrong because blackberries are also a low-potassium food that contains only 233 mg of potassium per cup.
Eating blackberries would not help to raise the client’s potassium level.
Choice D. Cucumbers is wrong because cucumbers are a very low-potassium food that contains only 76 mg of potassium per cup.
Eating cucumbers would not help to raise the client’s potassium level and may even lower it further.
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