The mother of a 6-year-old child receiving diphenoxylate (Lomotil) for the last 4 days for diarrhea reports by telephone that the diarrhea has stopped and that the child's pants cannot be zipped or buttoned today
What is the nurse's best advice? a. "Give the child only half the dose of the drug today."
b. "Do not give the child fluids for the next 24 hours."
c. "Stop the drug and go immediately to the prescriber's office."
d. "When diarrhea is cured the stool enlarges the abdomen."
C
Increasing abdominal size while taking a drug for diarrhea is an indication of toxic megacolon, a serious complication of this therapy. Children taking diphenoxylate are more sensitive to the side effects and can develop a toxic megacolon quickly. Other signs and symptoms of this condition include fever, abdominal pain, rapid heart rate, and dehydration. A patient with toxic megacolon may go into shock. When this condition is not recognized and treated early, there is a risk for death.
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