A surgical patient's postoperative orders include the twice-daily administration of docusate sodium. The patient is concerned about developing diarrhea from this medication, so the nurse has begun patient education
What should the nurse teach the patient about docusate sodium? A) "This medication will soften your stools over the next couple of days."
B) "You'll usually have a bowel movement within 2 to 3 hours of taking this."
C) "This medication will cause your bowels to contract more strongly than they normally do."
D) "This drug will help you pass regular stools while you're in the hospital, but you should not take it for more than 5 days."
A
Feedback:
Surfactant laxatives (e.g., docusate calcium or docusate sodium) decrease the surface tension of the fecal mass to allow water to penetrate into the stool. They also act as a detergent to facilitate admixing of fat and water in the stool. As a result, stools are softer and easier to expel. These agents have little, if any, laxative effect. Their main value is to prevent straining while expelling stool. They usually act within 1 to 3 days and should be taken daily.
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