A patient is prescribed an oral corticosteroid for a chronic inflammatory health problem. Which precaution is most important for the nurse to teach?
a. "Never stop taking this drug without consulting your prescriber."
b. "Avoid crowds and people who are ill."
c. "Be sure to take this drug with food."
d. "Reduce your salt intake."
A
All of the choices are precautions that the nurse should teach the patient taking an oral corticosteroid for the long term. However, the most critical precaution is to not stop taking the drug because long-term corticosteroid use causes atrophy of the adrenal glands. With adrenal gland atrophy, the person no longer makes his or her own normal levels of corticosteroids, which are essential for life. Long-term steroid use is never suddenly stopped.
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The nurse observes that the infant's anterior fontanelle is bulging after placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. How should the nurse position this infant?
a. Prone, with the head of the bed elevated b. Supine, with the head flat c. Side-lying on the operative side d. In a semi-Fowler's position
The patient is currently learning how to use crutches so there is minimal weight on the affected leg. Which type of crutch-walking technique will the nurse be reinforcing?
a. Two-point gait b. Three-point gait c. Partial weight bearing d. Swing-through gait
You are teaching a client about his diagnosis of narcolepsy. The client asks about the cause of this disorder. You would explain that this disorder:
a. has as its cause childhood sexual fears b. is caused by the bite of a particular fly c. is due to giving up too much sleep as a child d. seems relatively common among close relatives
The nurse must be alert to possible negative responses to meditation. Clients who have reacted negatively to meditation have most often experienced which one of the following?
a. Aggressive behaviours b. Delusions c. Insomnia d. Loss-of-control sensations