The nurse is caring for a client who has difficulty swallowing a large tablet of a prescribed drug. What action should the nurse take first?

Consult with the client's health care provider.

Administer the liquid form of the drug.

Administer the parenteral form of the drug.

Crush the tablet before administration.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A reason: Consulting ensures safety; not all drugs can be altered, and the provider adjusts the order, preventing errors in bioavailability or efficacy.

Choice B reason: Liquid may work, but without approval, it’s unauthorized; some drugs lack liquid forms, and this bypasses necessary prescriber oversight.

Choice C reason: Parenteral needs an order change; administering without it violates scope, and it’s invasive, escalating care unnecessarily as a first step.

Choice D reason: Crushing alters pharmacokinetics; many tablets (e.g., extended-release) can’t be crushed, and doing so without checking risks toxicity or inefficacy.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Tolerance reflects receptor desensitization or enzyme induction; higher doses compensate for reduced drug efficacy, a common pharmacological adaptation.

Choice B reason: Organ failure affects metabolism, not tolerance; tolerance is a cellular response, not solely a failure of liver or kidney drug clearance mechanisms.

Choice C reason: Stable dosing contradicts tolerance; if tolerance develops, efficacy drops, necessitating dose increases, not maintenance, to achieve therapeutic levels.

Choice D reason: Non-adherence may alter response, but tolerance occurs with consistent use; it’s a physiological adaptation, not a result of misuse or skipping doses.

A. Is most reliable in terms of onset. B. Is most convenient. C. Is best tolerated by clients. D. Ensures fast drug action.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice A reason: While reliability exists, the oral route is less predictable than IV administration due to variability in absorption caused by digestive factors, making it less reliable for rapid or consistent onset.

Choice B reason: Convenience is the primary advantage of oral administration. It allows ease of self-administration, enabling clients to manage their medications without healthcare provider intervention, making it the most frequently used route.

Choice C reason: While many clients tolerate oral medications well, others may face challenges, such as difficulty swallowing or gastric irritation, meaning tolerability varies and is not a universal advantage of this route.

Choice D reason: The oral route does not ensure fast action due to time required for digestion, absorption, and metabolism, making it slower compared to routes like IV or sublingual administration.

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The nurse is caring for a client who has difficulty swallowing a large tablet of a prescribed drug. What action should the nurse take first?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Which statement is correct about patient tolerance to medications?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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