A nurse is caring for a newly admitted client to the emergency department. The nurse obtains the following vital signs: temperature, 101.6° F; pulse rate, 92 beats/minute; respiratory rate, 28 breaths/minute; and blood pressure, 160/100 mm Hg

Question

The client appears disheveled and disoriented. Upon physical assessment, the nurse notes restlessness and muscle spasms with rigidity. Which documented finding in the health history is evaluated as a potential causative factor? A) Mixing antibiotics with psychotherapeutic medications
B) Changing from one psychotherapeutic to another
C) Initiating psychotherapeutic drug therapy
D) Combining dairy products with psychotherapeutics

Answer 1

B
Feedback:
Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that results from elevated levels of serotonin in the blood secondary to drug therapy. When reviewing the client's medication history and relating the symptoms assessed, the nurse relates the client's status with changing from one psychotherapeutic to another psychotherapeutic medication as a potential causative factor. There is no correlation from the client symptoms to combining antibiotic therapy with psychotherapeutics, initiating psychotherapeutics, or combining dairy products with psychotherapeutics.