A patient who has received lithium for 3 weeks to control acute mania has the following symptoms: coarse hand tremor, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and mild confusion. The pri-ority nursing action should be to:
a. Administer prn Cogentin to relieve the symptoms.
b. Provide reassurance that the symptoms are transient.
c. Obtain a stat lithium level; hold lithium pending results.
d. Assist the patient to decrease the sodium in their daily diet.
ANS: C
The symptoms the patient is experiencing are consistent with moderate lithium toxicity. The nurse should hold lithium, obtain a stat lithium level, and notify the physician. Cogentin is inappropriate; the symptoms are not EPS. The nurse may reassure the patient but cannot sug-gest that the symptoms will resolve over time. Minimizing salt would worsen lithium toxicity.
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