The nurse is caring for a client with a new diagnosis of epilepsy who is prescribed phenytoin. Which teaching point should the nurse emphasize?
Avoid alcohol consumption
Increase calcium intake
Limit physical activity
Reduce fluid intake
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Avoiding alcohol is critical with phenytoin, as it increases seizure risk and alters drug metabolism, reducing efficacy or causing toxicity. Alcohol’s CNS depressant effects exacerbate epilepsy, making this the priority teaching point to ensure seizure control and medication safety.
Choice B reason: Increasing calcium intake is unrelated to phenytoin or epilepsy management. While phenytoin may affect bone health long-term, alcohol avoidance is more urgent, as it directly impacts seizure control and drug pharmacokinetics, making it the priority teaching focus.
Choice C reason: Limiting physical activity is unnecessary for epilepsy unless seizures are poorly controlled. Alcohol avoidance is critical, as it lowers the seizure threshold and interferes with phenytoin metabolism, posing immediate risks to seizure control, making it the primary teaching point.
Choice D reason: Reducing fluid intake is irrelevant to phenytoin or epilepsy. Proper hydration supports health, but alcohol avoidance is the priority, as it directly affects seizure risk and phenytoin’s effectiveness, ensuring therapeutic levels and preventing breakthrough seizures in epilepsy management.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Chest x-ray may show nonspecific findings in pulmonary embolism but is not diagnostic. D-dimer, a fibrin degradation product, is highly sensitive for detecting thrombosis, guiding further imaging like CT pulmonary angiography, making it the priority test in suspected cases.
Choice B reason: Electrocardiogram may show tachycardia or right heart strain in pulmonary embolism but is nonspecific. D-dimer is a sensitive screening test, indicating clot presence, which prompts definitive imaging, making it the preferred initial diagnostic step in suspected pulmonary embolism.
Choice C reason: D-dimer blood test is the most sensitive screening tool for pulmonary embolism, detecting fibrin degradation from clots. Elevated levels prompt CT pulmonary angiography for confirmation, guiding urgent treatment to prevent further embolization, making it the critical test to anticipate.
Choice D reason: Arterial blood gas may reveal hypoxemia in pulmonary embolism but is nonspecific, as other conditions cause similar findings. D-dimer is more diagnostic, identifying clot presence, guiding imaging, and ensuring timely intervention, making it the priority test in suspected cases.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Imbalanced nutrition due to anorexia and dysphagia is significant in esophageal cancer, as it risks weight loss and weakness. However, pain at 8/10 is an acute, distressing symptom requiring immediate relief to improve quality of life, making it the priority over nutritional deficits.
Choice B reason: Risk for aspiration from dysphagia is a concern in esophageal cancer, as tumor obstruction can cause swallowing issues. While serious, aspiration is a potential risk, whereas severe pain is an immediate, actual problem, making pain management the priority to alleviate current suffering.
Choice C reason: Anxiety and grieving are valid in esophageal cancer due to its prognosis, but a pain level of 8/10 is an urgent physiological need. Addressing pain first improves the client’s ability to cope with psychological distress, prioritizing physical comfort over emotional concerns.
Choice D reason: Chronic pain from tumor-related tissue destruction, rated 8/10, is the priority, as severe pain causes significant distress and impairs function. Effective pain management enhances comfort, facilitates other interventions, and addresses the client’s immediate suffering, making it the most urgent nursing problem.
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