A patient diagnosed with major depression began taking escitalopram (Lexapro) 5 days ago. The patient now says, "This medicine isn't working." The nurse's best intervention would be to:
a. discuss with the health care provider the need to increase the dose.
b. reassure the patient that the medication will be effective soon.
c. explain the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
d. critically assess the patient for symptoms of improvement.
ANS: C
Escitalopram is an SSRI antidepressant. One to three weeks of treatment is usually necessary before symptom relief occurs. This information is important to share with patients.
You might also like to view...
In 2007, carbamazepine became the first mainstream medication to carry a recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration that patients of Asian descent be tested for the HLA-B*1502 gene before starting drug therapy
Asian patients are almost exclusively carriers of this gene, and if placed on carbamazepine, might develop Stevens-Johnson syndrome. What is the most significant outcome of this recommendation? a. It will provide for early detection of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. b. It will give practitioners the ability to make decisions about medications for patients based on their ethnicity and/or race. c. It will provide a cure for Stevens-Johnson syndrome. d. It will guide genetically based nursing care.
The nurse counsels a male client regarding testosterone secretion based on knowledge that when testosterone levels rise above normal, the body responds by:
1. decreasing the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which results in a decrease in testosterone production. 2. increasing the secretion of estrogen to counteract the effects of the excess testosterone. 3. decreasing the release of testosterone directly from the testes. 4. increasing the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to decrease the testosterone secretion.
When making an assessment of the client's learning needs, the nurse will focus on which of the following elements? (Select all that apply.)
______ Nurse's own knowledge ______ Client's age ______ Client's understanding of health problem ______ Sensory acuity ______ Learning style ______ Client's support systems
The goal of treatment of the infant with phenylketonuria (PKU) is to:
a. Cure mental retardation. b. Prevent central nervous system (CNS) damage, which leads to mental retardation. c. Prevent gastrointestinal symptoms. d. Cure the urinary tract infection.