A patient who has esophageal cancer is experiencing dry mouth and the provider orders oral pilocarpine to treat this symptom. What will the nurse expect to teach this patient about this me-dication?
a. "This medication may cause rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure."
b. "This medication may cause constipation and gastric discomfort in large doses."
c. "You should experience sweating with this medication and should not have other side effects."
d. "You will begin taking 5 mg three times daily and may increase the dose to 10 mg."
D
The dosing for pilocarpine, when used for dry mouth associated with head and neck cancers, is 5 mg three times daily, which may be titrated up to 10 mg three times daily. Tachycardia and con-stipation are side effects of atropine. Sweating occurs with low doses of pilocarpine. Higher dos-es, such as this, are associated with the full range of muscarinic effects.
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A few of the more experienced nurses are sitting around a lunch table discussing the changes they are seeing in their skin. Which of the following would be considered normal age-related changes? Select all that apply
A) Thickening of the dermis layer. B) Reduction in subcutaneous tissue. C) Increased hair growth on back and legs. D) Dry, scaly skin.
Which of the following is an example of near-death awareness?
A) Feeling warm and peaceful B) Floating above one's body C) Premonition regarding date and time of death D) Moving rapidly toward a bright light
Two months after a kidney transplant, the client returns and is diagnosed as having an acute rejection episode
The client says, "I was doing so well with my new kidney and the thought of having to go back to living on hemodialysis is so depressing." What is the nurse's best re-sponse? A. "You should have followed your drug regimen better." B. "You should be glad that at least hemodialysis is an option for you. Remember that people whose liver transplants are rejected have no other options." C. "You should keep in mind that one acute rejection episode does not mean that you will lose the new kidney. Usually, these episodes can be reversed with the right treatment." D. "You should remember that finding a donor for a new kidney is the easiest trans-plant option. Our center is high on the list for obtaining organs for transplant from the national registry."
During a mental status evaluation, a nurse's intuition may indicate:
a. clues about the patient's physical well-being. b. subtle emotions being expressed by the patient. c. areas to be explored in the predischarge interview. d. potential nursing diagnoses that relate to a patient knowledge deficit.