A client who is newly diagnosed with erosive esophagitis secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) reports to the nurse that they did not notice any reduction in symptoms after taking lansoprazole PO for one full week. Which action should the nurse take?
Notify the healthcare provider that the client may need a change in dosage.
Auscultate the client’s bowel sounds and measure the abdominal girth.
Advise the client that healing typically takes several weeks to occur.
Confirm that the client is taking the medication one hour after meals.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A rationale
Lansoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), typically requires several weeks to achieve its full therapeutic effect. Notifying the healthcare provider for a dosage change after only one week is premature and not supported by clinical guidelines.
Choice B rationale
Auscultating bowel sounds and measuring abdominal girth are not directly related to the effectiveness of lansoprazole in treating GERD. These actions are more relevant for assessing gastrointestinal motility and potential complications like bowel obstruction.
Choice C rationale
Healing of erosive esophagitis with PPIs like lansoprazole usually takes several weeks. Advising the client that healing typically takes several weeks to occur is appropriate and aligns with the expected therapeutic timeline.
Choice D rationale
Lansoprazole should be taken before meals, not after, to maximize its effectiveness. Confirming that the client is taking the medication one hour after meals would not address the issue of symptom persistence.
Free Nursing Test Bank
- Free Pharmacology Quiz 1
- Free Medical-Surgical Quiz 2
- Free Fundamentals Quiz 3
- Free Maternal-Newborn Quiz 4
- Free Anatomy and Physiology Quiz 5
- Free Obstetrics and Pediatrics Quiz 6
- Free Fluid and Electrolytes Quiz 7
- Free Community Health Quiz 8
- Free Promoting Health across the Lifespan Quiz 9
- Free Multidimensional Care Quiz 10
View Related questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Lactulose is a synthetic sugar used to treat hepatic encephalopathy by reducing the absorption of ammonia in the intestines. Ammonia is a neurotoxin that can impair mental status in patients with liver dysfunction. By decreasing ammonia levels, lactulose helps improve cognitive function and mental status in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.
Choice B rationale
While lactulose can cause diarrhea as a side effect, the therapeutic goal in hepatic encephalopathy is not to reduce the number of liquid stools but to lower ammonia levels in the blood. The reduction in ammonia levels leads to improved mental status, not necessarily a reduction in liquid stools.
Choice C rationale
The ability to ambulate independently is not a direct therapeutic response to lactulose. The primary goal of lactulose therapy in hepatic encephalopathy is to improve mental status by reducing ammonia levels, not to enhance physical mobility.
Choice D rationale
Lactulose does not have a direct effect on urine output. Its primary mechanism of action is to reduce ammonia absorption in the intestines, thereby improving mental status in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A rationale
A chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan can show abnormalities in the lungs that are suggestive of tuberculosis (TB), but they cannot definitively diagnose TB. These imaging tests can reveal changes in the lungs, such as nodules, inflammation, or fluid buildup, which can be caused by TB or other conditions. Therefore, a chest X-ray or CT scan alone is not sufficient to diagnose TB.
Choice B rationale
A hemoccult test on sputum collected from hemoptysis is not a diagnostic test for TB. It is a test for blood in the stool, which can be a symptom of TB but is not specific to TB. Hemoptysis, or coughing up blood, can occur in various conditions, including bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and TB. The hemoccult test cannot differentiate between these causes, making it an unreliable test for diagnosing TB.
Choice C rationale
A positive purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test indicates exposure to TB but does not confirm active infection. The PPD skin test involves injecting a small amount of tuberculin, a protein derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, into the skin. If a person has been exposed to TB, their immune system will react to the tuberculin, causing a raised red bump to appear at the injection site. However, a positive PPD skin test does not necessarily mean that a person has active TB infection. It could also mean that they have been exposed to TB in the past but have successfully fought off the infection. Further testing, such as a sputum culture, is needed to confirm the diagnosis of TB.
Choice D rationale
A sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the definitive diagnostic test for TB. It involves collecting a sample of sputum, which is the mucus coughed up from the lungs, and culturing it in a laboratory to see if Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB, grows. This test is highly specific for TB, meaning that a positive result is almost always indicative of TB infection. It is also sensitive, meaning that it can detect TB infection even when there are few bacteria present.