What discharge teaching should a client with epilepsy receive when starting clonazepam three times daily? (Select all that apply.)
Tolerance can develop over time and lead to the need for higher doses.
Skip a dose if you need to drive.
Skip a dose if you plan to go out drinking with friends.
Do not try to taper yourself off this medication without physician guidance.
Correct Answer : A,D
A. Tolerance can develop over time and lead to the need for higher doses – This is correct because long-term use of clonazepam, like other benzodiazepines, can result in tolerance, potentially necessitating higher doses to achieve the same therapeutic effect.
B. Skip a dose if you need to drive – This is incorrect. Clients should be advised to take their medication as prescribed and consult their healthcare provider about driving, as clonazepam can impair coordination and reaction times.
C. Skip a dose if you plan to go out drinking with friends – This is incorrect. While it’s important to avoid alcohol when taking clonazepam due to the increased risk of sedation and respiratory depression, clients should not skip doses without consulting their healthcare provider.
D. Do not try to taper yourself off this medication without physician guidance – This is correct. Stopping clonazepam suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms and seizure recurrence, so any changes in medication should always be done under the guidance of a healthcare provider.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A half-life is the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by half. In this case, the medication has an 8-hour half-life, so after 8 hours, the concentration of the medication in the client's body would be reduced to 400mg (half of the initial dose of 800mg). After another 8 hours (16 hours total), the concentration would be reduced to 200mg. After another 8 hours (24 hours total), the concentration would be reduced to 100mg.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
The nurse would want to have flumazenil readily available in case benzodiazepine reversal is needed. Flumazenil is a medication used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines such as lorazepam ¹. It can be used to help a person wake up after a medical procedure in which a benzodiazepine was used as a sedative or to treat a benzodiazepine overdose ¹.
Option A is incorrect because physostigmine is not used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines.
Option B is incorrect because naloxone is used to reverse the effects of opioids, not benzodiazepines.
Option D is incorrect because syrup of ipecac is not used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines.
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