A patient who is prescribed gemfibrozil (Lopid) is also taking warfarin (Coumadin). What is the priority nursing action for this patient?
a. Monitor liver function tests.
b. Keep an accurate record of urine output.
c. Give the drug 30 minutes before meals.
d. Check the patient for signs of bleeding.
D
Even though all of these actions are important for a patient taking gemfibrozil, the priority action is to check the patient for signs of bleeding. Fibrate drugs such as gemfibrozil increase the effec-tiveness of warfarin by causing a prolonged prothrombin time, which can lead to excessive bleeding and become life threatening.
You might also like to view...
It is safe for HIV-positive women to breastfeed, because HIV is not transmitted in breast milk.
a. true b. false
When administering nitroglycerin via the sublingual route, you should:
A. place the medication between the cheek and gum. B. instruct the patient not to chew or swallow the medication. C. slowly inject the medication into the tongue. D. avoid allowing the medication to dissolve too slowly.
Of the many factors that influence parental responses, nurses should be conscious of negative stereotypes that apply to specific patient populations. Which response could be an inappropriate stereotype of adolescent mothers?
a. An adolescent mother's egocentricity and unmet developmental needs interfere with her ability to parent effectively. b. An adolescent mother is likely to use less verbal instruction, be less responsive, and interact less positively than other mothers. c. Adolescent mothers have a higher documented incidence of child abuse. d. Mothers older than 35 often deal with more stress related to work and career issues and decreasing libido.
The mother of a newborn states, "I am surprised that my baby is only being tested for 30 genetic diseases. When my son was born in another state he was tested for several dozen." How should the nurse respond?
1. "Each state controls how its newborn screening program works." 2. "Some states are more advanced than this one." 3. "Fewer tests are done now, but more diseases are included in those tests." 4. "The federal government has decided that not as many tests are needed now."