The nurse is visiting an elderly patient who lives with his wife and daughter. He takes several daily medications, including antihypertensives, antiarrhythmics, diuretics, and pain medication
The patient's wife states that he takes all of the pills in the morning and some at night. The nurse should examine the pills and suggest which of the following?
a. Take the antiarrhythmics and antihypertensives together in the morning to prevent hypotension during sleep.
b. Take the diuretics at bedtime.
c. Increase the different types of pain medication to prevent addiction to one.
d. Administer at bedtime medications that are likely to cause confusion.
D
Administer at bedtime medications that are likely to cause confusion to reduce the risk for confusion during waking hours, which contributes to disorientation and the risk for falling. However, do not recommend this if the patient has nocturia. Space antihypertensives and antiarrhythmics at different times to minimize side effects. Have diuretics taken early in the day and not at night, so that the diuretic effect occurs during the day, while the patient is awake. Reduce the number of pain medications used when possible. Drugs create sedative effects, increasing the risk for falls.
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