The nurse admits an elderly patient in thyroid crisis for whom surgery is not an option. What antithyroid drug would the nurse expect will be ordered?
A) Methimazole (Tapazole)
B) Radioactive iodine (Generic)
C) Propylthiouracil (PTU)
D) Potassium iodide (Thyro-Block)
B
Feedback:
If antithyroid agents are needed in the older adult patient, sodium iodide I131 may be the drug of choice because it has fewer adverse effects than the other agents. The use of sodium iodide is reserved for those patients who are not candidates for surgery, women who cannot become pregnant, and elderly patients with such severe, complicating conditions that immediate thyroid destruction is needed. Radioactive iodine targets the thyroid cells and destroys them without many adverse effects. Methimazole and propylthiouracil are antithyroid drugs but have cardiovascular adverse effects that might be unacceptable in an elderly patient who is not a candidate for surgery. Effects of potassium iodide are short-lived and may precipitate further thyroid enlargement and dysfunction so they would not be used in a patient who is not a candidate for surgery because they would not provoke long-term effects.
You might also like to view...
You are conducting an examination of Mr. Curtis's heart and blood vessels and auscultate a grade III murmur. The intensity of this murmur is:
a. barely discernible. b. moderately loud. c. loud with palpable thrill. d. very loud without a stethoscope.
Patsy is a 7-year-old girl who has been repeatedly hospitalized for symptoms of GI upset, chronic diarrhea, and electrolyte imbalance. The medical staff have not been able to determine the cause of her symptoms
Her mother always demands that additional lab work be run to determine what is wrong with her daughter. A nurse on the pediatric unit has noticed that Patsy seems to get better when her mother is not allowed to visit. The nurse suspects that Patsy may: A) Be a victim of factitious disorder by proxy. B) Be a victim of psychological abuse. C) Be at risk for developing psychosomatic illnesses as an adult. D) Be experiencing secondary gain from her hospitalizations.
Why will home health care continue to grow? Select all that apply
A. Computers used to convey information between nurses and patients B. Cost-containment measures at all levels of government C. Insurance companies requiring increased use of generic medications D. Public demand for quality health care E. Public pressures to receive care in the most comfortable setting F. Technologic advances
Health problems in need of control in developed countries include
a. Hepatitis b. Malaria c. Polio d. Smallpox