The nurse realizes which patient is at greatest risk for an unintended synergistic effect?
a. 72-year-old who is seeing four different specialists
b. 4-year-old who has mistakenly taken the entire packet of his mother's birth control pills
c. 50-year-old who was prescribed a second blood pressure medication
d. 35-year-old drug addict who has ingested meth mixed with several household chemicals
A
A synergistic effect occurs when two medications potentiate each other, creating a greater effect than a single medication on its own. The 72-year-old seeing four different providers is likely to experience polypharmacy. Polypharmacy places the patient at risk for unintended mixing of medications that potentiate each other. The child taking too much of a medication by mistake could experience overdose or toxicity. The 50-year-old is prescribed two different blood pressure medications for their synergistic effect, but this is a desired event. A drug addict mixing chemicals can be toxic.
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Mr. G is a 55-year-old African American who is in to see his primary care provider for a routine visit. His most recent labs included a lipid panel with cholesterol at 230, triglycerides 220, LDL 210, and HDL 23
Fasting glucose was 240 on the same date. Vital signs today are BP 125/83 and weight 230. His abdominal girth is 38 inches. Based on this information, Mr. G meets the criteria for: 1. Poorly controlled essential hypertension. 2. Pre-diabetes. 3. Morbid obesity. 4. Metabolic syndrome.
In the nature versus nurture controversy about human development, the nature view sees development as mainly influenced by which of the following factors?
a. genetic c. culture b. environmental d. chance
A nurse in the emergency department assesses an unresponsive victim of rape. The victim's friend reports, "That guy gave her salty water before he raped her." Which question is most important for the nurse to ask of the victim's friend?
a. "Does the victim have any kidney disease?" b. "Has the victim consumed any alcohol?" c. "What time was she given salty water?" d. "Did you witness the rape?"
The nurse teaches a patient about portal hypertension. Which patient statement indicates teaching was effective?
A. "Portal hypertension means high blood pressure throughout my abdomen. It causes me to feel confused." B. "In portal hypertension, blood leaks from my liver. It causes me to feel hungry frequently." C. "Portal hypertension means fast-spreading high blood pressure. It causes red veins on my arms." D. "In portal hypertension, blood backs up in the liver. It causes enlarged blood vessels in my esophagus."