A patient with rapid cycling bipolar disorder is not responding well to lithium. The pa-tient tells the nurse, "It feels as though I'll never get well. I get better, and then I get worse."
The reply that is based on knowledge of current therapy would be:
a. "You're feeling very discouraged aren't you?"
b. "It's not all bad, is it? Sometimes you like being high."
c. "Another drug, valproic acid, is proving effective for rapid cycling."
d. "If your kidneys hold out, the lithium will eventually control the symptoms."
ANS: C
Valproic acid is a first-line agent for the treatment of bipolar disorder. It is particularly effec-tive with rapid cycling. The other options are not responsive to the question stem, which asks for knowledge of current therapy.
You might also like to view...
In caring for the premature newborn, the nurse must assess hydration status continually. Assessment parameters should include: (Select all that apply.)
A. Volume of urine output. B. Weight. C. Blood pH. D. Head circumference. E. Bowel sounds.
Schneidman's term perturbation means the amount of:
a. stress or social pressures felt by an individual in society b. disconnectedness or connectedness felt by an individual in his or her family of origin c. turbulence in the mind compared to the turbulence occurring in the body d. emotional distress reflected in the presence or absence of impulse control
Determining the FHR baseline requires the nurse to approximate the mean FHR rounded to increments of 5 bpm during a ___-minute window (excluding accelerations and decelerations).
A. 2 B. 5 C. 10 D. 20
Because of the premature infant's decreased immune functioning, what nursing diagnosis should the nurse include in a plan of care for a premature infant?
a. Delayed growth and development c. Ineffective infant feeding pattern b. Ineffective thermoregulation d. Risk for infection