An elderly patient has been on high doses of antibiotics and is experiencing a sudden loss of hearing. The nurse should contact the health care provider and
a. Stop antibiotic use until the physician responds.
b. Tell the patient that older patients often lose low-frequency hearing.
c. Explain that hearing loss usually occurs with thinning of the eardrum.
d. Assure the patient that rapid hearing loss is normal in the elderly.
ANS: A
Older adults are especially at risk for hearing loss due to ototoxicity (injury to auditory nerve) resulting from high maintenance doses of antibiotics (e.g., aminoglycosides). Continuation of the medications is a physician responsibility. Older adults experience an inability to hear high-frequency sounds and consonants. Deterioration of the cochlea and thickening of the tympanic membrane cause older adults to gradually lose hearing acuity.
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