The healthcare provider prescribes lactulose for a patient with hepatic encephalopathy. What will the nurse assess to determine the effectiveness of this medication?
Decreased ammonia levels
Relief of constipation
Decreased liver enzymes
Relief of abdominal pain
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason:Lactulose is used in hepatic encephalopathy primarily to lower blood ammonia levels. It works by converting ammonia in the intestines into ammonium, which is then excreted³. Therefore, a decrease in ammonia levels would indicate the effectiveness of the medication.
Choice B reason:While lactulose can relieve constipation due to its laxative effect, relief of constipation is not the primary indicator of its effectiveness in treating hepatic encephalopathy³.
Choice C reason:Decreased liver enzymes are not a direct measure of lactulose's effectiveness in hepatic encephalopathy. Liver enzymes are indicators of liver function, not ammonia levels³.
Choice D reason:Relief of abdominal pain is not a specific indicator of lactulose's effectiveness in hepatic encephalopathy. The medication's primary role is to reduce ammonia levels, not to alleviate pain³.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason:While sharing needles can transmit hepatitis, it is more commonly associated with hepatitis B and C, not hepatitis A.
Choice B reason:Eating shellfish from contaminated water is a well-known route of transmission for hepatitis A, aligning with the client's symptoms.
Choice C reason:Blood transfusions were a risk for hepatitis transmission in the past, but since the 1990s, blood products are screened for hepatitis, making this an unlikely source.
Choice D reason:Unprotected sex can be a route of transmission for hepatitis, but hepatitis A is more commonly spread through ingestion of contaminated food or water, not sexual contact.
Correct Answer is ["24"]
Explanation
- Step 1: Identify the prescribed dose in units per hour. The client is scheduled to receive 1,200 units/hr of heparin.
- Step 2: Identify the concentration of the available solution. The available solution contains 25,000 units of heparin in 500 mL D5W.
- Step 3: Calculate the volume of solution needed to deliver the required dose. We can set up a proportion to solve for this:
- 25,000 units is to 500 mL as 1,200 units is to X mL.
- In other words, 25,000 units : 500 mL = 1,200 units : X mL.
- Step 4: Solve for X using cross-multiplication and division:
- Cross-multiplication gives us: 25,000 units × X mL = 1,200 units × 500 mL.
- Simplifying this gives us: 25,000X = 600,000.
- Dividing both sides by 25,000 gives us: X = 600,000 ÷ 25,000.
- Calculating the division gives us: X = 24.
Set the IV pump to deliver 24 mL/hr to administer the required dose of 1,200 units/hr.
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