The nurse is preparing to administer magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia) per a patient's request for a laxative. The patient asks the nurse how this medication works. Which of the fol-lowing would be a correct statement by the nurse?
a. "It draws water into the colon to soften the feces."
b. "It lubricates the passage of stool."
c. "It increases bulk in the colon."
d. "It stimulates the nerves that regulate defecation."
A
Osmotic laxatives, such as magnesium hydroxide, work by drawing water into the intestinal lu-men. Accumulation of water causes the fecal mass to soften and swell, stretching the intestinal wall and stimulating peristalsis.
Osmotic laxatives, such as magnesium hydroxide, do not lubricate the passage of stool, increase bulk in the colon, or stimulate nerves that regulate defecation.
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A) "Do you feel stressed most of the time?" B) "Does this frighten you when it happens?" C) "What's happening around you when this occurs?" D) "Do you feel as if you are out of your body?"
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