A nurse is teaching a client who has angina about nitroglycerin sublingual tablets. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the teaching?
"This medication decreases chest pain by dissolving blood clots that are occluding the arteries."
"Place one tablet under your tongue every 15 minutes and repeat up to 5 times for relief of chest pain"
"This medication is the first line treatment for hypertension"
"This medication dilates cardiac blood vessels to deliver more oxygen to the heart."
The Correct Answer is D
A) "This medication decreases chest pain by dissolving blood clots that are occluding the arteries.": This statement is incorrect because nitroglycerin does not dissolve blood clots. Instead, it works by relaxing and dilating blood vessels, which helps improve blood flow to the heart muscle and relieve angina.
B) "Place one tablet under your tongue every 15 minutes and repeat up to 5 times for relief of chest pain.": This is not accurate; while nitroglycerin can be taken sublingually, the typical recommendation is to take one tablet every 5 minutes as needed for chest pain, not every 15 minutes, and not to exceed 3 tablets within 15 minutes.
C) "This medication is the first-line treatment for hypertension.": Although nitroglycerin can lower blood pressure, it is not typically considered a first-line treatment for hypertension. It is primarily used for angina relief rather than as a primary antihypertensive agent.
D) "This medication dilates cardiac blood vessels to deliver more oxygen to the heart.": This statement accurately describes the action of nitroglycerin. By dilating the coronary arteries, nitroglycerin increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart muscle, which helps alleviate angina symptoms. This is a key point to emphasize during patient education.
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Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A) Atenolol: This is a beta-blocker that can be used for various cardiac conditions, including hypertension and certain arrhythmias, but it is not typically the first-line treatment for acute life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmias in the emergency setting.
B) Lisinopril: This medication is an ACE inhibitor primarily used to manage hypertension and heart failure. It does not address acute ventricular dysrhythmias and would not be appropriate for immediate use in this scenario.
C) Adenosine: While adenosine is effective for certain types of supraventricular tachycardia, it is not indicated for life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmias. It has a very short duration of action and is not the drug of choice in this context.
D) Procainamide: This antiarrhythmic medication is specifically used to treat life-threatening ventricular dysrhythmias. It works by stabilizing the cardiac membrane and is indicated in emergency situations to manage these types of arrhythmias. Therefore, preparing procainamide is the most appropriate action for the nurse in this scenario.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A) "Increase your potassium intake by eating more bananas and apricots.": Doxazosin is not a potassium-sparing medication, and there is no specific indication for increased potassium intake with this drug. This advice may be misleading, especially since excessive
potassium can pose risks, particularly in certain populations.
B) "Weigh yourself daily, and report any weight loss to your prescriber.": Daily weighing can be important for monitoring fluid retention in some conditions, but weight loss is not a common side effect of doxazosin. Instead, clients should be more concerned about weight gain due to fluid retention or potential side effects from the medication.
C) "The impaired taste associated with this medication usually goes away in 2 to 3 weeks.": Impaired taste is not a well-documented side effect of doxazosin. While some medications may cause changes in taste, this statement is not relevant for doxazosin and does not address the most critical aspects of its administration.
D) "Be sure to lie down after taking the first dose, because first-dose hypotension may make you dizzy.": This statement is accurate and important. Doxazosin can cause first-dose hypotension, leading to dizziness or fainting. Advising the client to lie down after the first dose helps mitigate the risk of hypotensive effects, making this the most appropriate emphasis for the nurse.