A patient will begin taking hydroxychloroquine [Plaquenil] for rheumatoid arthritis. The patient is currently taking high-dose NSAIDs and methotrexate. What will the nurse teach the patient?
a. That an eye exam is necessary at the be-ginning of therapy with this drug
b. That the dose of NSAIDs may be de-creased when beginning hydroxychloro-quine
c. To obtain tests of renal and hepatic func-tion while taking this drug
d. To stop taking methotrexate when starting hydroxychloroquine
A
Hydroxychloroquine can cause retinal damage so an eye exam is necessary at the onset of treat-ment as well as every 6 months during treatment. Patients taking other drugs should continue to take those when beginning treatment with hydroxychloroquine since full therapeutic effects take months to develop. Renal and hepatic toxicity are not concerns. The drug is usually combined with methotrexate.
You might also like to view...
When performing a client's nursing health history, the nurse should place the primary focus on which areas?
a. functional health patterns, alterations in lifestyle, and responses to changes in health status b. health teaching needs c. objective data, which will aid in the diagnosis of the illness d. symptoms and progression of disease or injury
The nurse is caring for a patient with severe symptomatic intestinal amebiasis who has just completed a 10-day course of metronidazole (Flagyl). Which medication would the nurse expect to be ordered for the patient?
a. Pentamidine (Pentam) b. Iodoquinol (Yodoxin) c. Atovaquone (Mepron) d. Nitazoxanide (Alinia)
A newborn baby requires an injection of which vitamin due to lack of bacteria in the intestinal tract?
A) Vitamin K B) Vitamin A C) Vitamin C D) Vitamin D
The nurse is reviewing antihypertensive medication orders for a patient with asthma. The nurse questions the use of which type of medication?
a. Cardioselective beta blockers because they reduce cardiac output b. Non cardioselective beta blockers because they may cause bronchoconstriction c. ACE inhibitors because they cause a nagging cough d. Thiazide diuretics because they promote potassium excretion