The nurse is teaching a patient about using high-dose aspirin to treat arthritis. What information will the nurse include when teaching this patient?
a. "A normal serum aspirin level is between 30 and 40 mg/dL."
b. "You may need to stop taking this drug a week prior to surgery."
c. "You will need to monitor aspirin levels if you are also taking warfarin."
d. "Your stools may become dark, but this is a harmless side effect."
ANS: B
Aspirin should be discontinued prior to surgery to avoid prolonged bleeding time. A normal serum level is 15 to 30 mg/dL. Patients taking warfarin and aspirin will have increased amounts of warfarin, so the INR will need to be monitored. Tarry stools are a symptom of gastrointestinal bleeding and should be reported.
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