A nurse is caring for a patient who has myasthenia gravis. The prescriber has ordered neostigmine (Prostigmin). An important initial nursing action before administration of the medication includes assessing:
a. the ability to raise the eyelids.
b. level of fatigue.
c. skeletal muscle strength.
d. swallowing ability.
ANS: D
Many patients hospitalized for myasthenia gravis do not have the muscle strength to swallow well and need a parenteral form of the medication; therefore, assessing the patient's ability to swallow is an important initial safety measure. Evaluating the patient's ability to raise the eyelids, level of fatigue, and skeletal muscle strength are all important assessments both before drug administration and during drug treatment, because they indicate the effectiveness of the drug and help determine subsequent doses.
You might also like to view...
Hypochondriasis may be commonly associated with which one of the following problems in older adults?
A) Anxiety B) Depression C) Paranoia D) Dementia
Nutritional requirements generally go up during pregnancy. Which nutritional requirement proportionally increases the most during pregnancy?
A) Calories B) Protein C) Iron D) Vitamin A
Isolating components of an herb leads to more reliable dosing and results in which form?
a. Dried herb b. Extract c. Syrup d. Oil
Which factors make health care costs difficult to control? Select all that apply
1. Technology replacement costs 2. People living longer 3. Focus on disease 4. The medically uninsured 5. Disease-prevention strategies