A male patient is taking atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) to reduce serum cholesterol. Which of the following aspects of patient teaching is most important?

Question

A) Call his physician if he develops muscle pain.
B) It is unacceptable to eat dietary fats.
C) Decrease the dose if lethargy occurs.
D) Eat two eggs per day to increase protein stores.

Answer 1

A
Feedback:
Patients should be advised to notify their health care provider if unexplained muscle pain or tenderness occurs. The patient should avoid saturated fats when taking statins but should not entirely eliminate fats from his diet. The patient should not decrease the dose of statins without the physician's knowledge. The patient should not increase the intake of eggs due to the increase in cholesterol.