State the difference between an initial and a maintenance dose.
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary. When a disorder has just been diagnosed, the doctor may order a fairly large dose to start the drug therapy. This quickly builds up the level of medication in the patient's bloodstream. It is called the initial or loading dose. After one or more initial doses, the dosage is lowered to a maintenance dose. This is the amount that maintains the level of drug in the blood without overdosing the patient. The maintenance dose will continue to be given for as long as the provider orders.
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Methemoglobin causes difficulty with oxygenation because
a. methemoglobin does not carry oxygen as normal hemoglobin would. b. carbon monoxide has a greater affinity for the hemoglobin than oxygen. c. only 80% of the total oxygen is carried on the hemoglobin. d. the anemia causes decreased numbers of hemoglobin receptor sites.
If a nurse makes a mistake while charting, which of these actions is correct?
a. Black out the entry so that it cannot be read; then date, time, and initial the entry. b. Cross out the entry with a single line; then write "mistaken entry" with date, time, and initials. c. Erase the entry if possible. d. Use correction fluid to obliterate the incorrect entry; then enter the correct notation over the previous one.
In assessing a patient with suspected Chlamydia, the nurse's actions are guided by which characteristic of this disease?
a. Chlamydia is frequently asymptomatic and requires screening. b. Chlamydia is associated with a yellow-green vaginal discharge. c. Chlamydia is accompanied by heavy bleeding and headache. d. Chlamydia is only seen in immunocompromised patients.
The nurse suspects appendicitis in a patient complaining of abdominal pain. Which assessment finding should cause the nurse to notify the physician?
a. The patient burps after drinking a glass of water. b. Tympanic, hollow sounds are heard on percussion. c. Bowel sounds are hyperactive in the upper quadrants. d. Palpation of the abdomen is positive for rebound tenderness.