A patient with a gastrostomy tube is prescribed a sustained-released opioid medication. What should the nurse do when preparing to provide this medication to the patient?
a. Provide the medication orally for the patient to swallow
b. Crush the medication and administer it through the tube
c. Dissolve the medication in water and administer it through the tube
d. Ask the physician to prescribe the medication as an elixir for tube administration
ANS: D
The nurse should ask the physician to prescribe the medication as an elixir for tube administration, because a time-release tablet should never be crushed. B. A controlled- or time-release tablet should never be crushed. Because the tablet is designed to deliver a dose of medication over time, crushing it could deliver the entire dose at once, resulting in overdose. C. Dissolving the medication in water and administering it through the tube could also cause an overdose. A. The patient has a gastrostomy tube for a reason. Oral intake is probably compromised. This patient is unable to take oral medications.
You might also like to view...
Splints have been ordered for a patient who is at risk of developing footdrop following a spinal cord injury. The nurse caring for this patient knows that the splints are removed and reapplied when?
A) At the patient's request B) Each morning and evening C) Every 2 hours D) One hour prior to mobility exercises
When planning care for children, the nurse knows which of the following factors has the largest impact but is not able to be altered to influence the growth and development of children?
A) Environment B) Genetics C) Socialization D) Family
The nurse is teaching a client about gout medication treatment. Teaching should include:
a. notify the health care provider immediately when symptoms of an acute attack begin. b. begin taking the medications for gout at the first sign of an attack. c. at the first sign of an attack, restrict sodium and fluid intake and notify the health care provider. d. when symptoms of an attack begin, lie down in a dorsal recumbent position.
The client has recently started on hemodialysis after a long history of type 2 diabetes and a gradual deterioration of her renal function. She mentions that she is tired of always feeling thirsty. The nurse makes a few suggestions for her to try
Which of the following is one of those suggestions? A) Eat ice chips when feeling thirsty. B) Rinse her mouth with hot liquids. C) Eat frozen fruit juice. D) Rinse her mouth with ice cold water.