The nurse is discussing the effects of doxazosin (Cardura) with a 65-year-old man who has just been diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The patient asks the nurse whether the drug will make him impotent

Question

After the discussion with the patient, the nurse determines that a potential priority nursing diagnosis could be what? A) Sexual dysfunction related to adverse effects
B) Deficient knowledge regarding drug therapy
C) Noncompliance with drug therapy related to adverse effects
D) Acute pain related to adverse effects

Answer 1

C
Feedback:
The patient is concerned about his ability to perform sexually. Sexual dysfunction is a possible adverse effect and would be a concern for this patient. However, he has not started taking the drug. The nurse is concerned about noncompliance because of the possibility of this adverse effect. This is an important part of a man's life and most men would not want to take medication that would cause sexual dysfunction. Headache is an adverse effect of drugs used for BPH, but it can be tolerated and treated with an analgesic. Deficient knowledge about the drug is a concern, but usually men who know that sexual dysfunction is a possible adverse effect of a drug will find out all they can about the drug. Acute pain is not related to this drug.