Pharmacology Chapter 91

The nurse identifies rifampin as useful in the treatment of which disorders?

Tuberculosis Leprosy Prophylaxis of meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae Rifampin is useful in the treatment of tuberculosis and can be used for prophylaxis of meningitis caused by

A patient who takes multiple antibiotics starts to experience diarrheal stools. The nurse anticipates administration of which antibiotic if a stool sample tests positive for Clostridium difficile?

Metronidazole [Flagyl] Metronidazole is the treatment of choice for antibiotic-associated colitis caused by

The nurse notices tan lines around the arms of a female patient who is taking levofloxacin [Levaquin]. Which action should the nurse take?

Advise the patient to avoid sun exposure and wear sun screen when outside. Fluoroquinolones pose a risk of phototoxicity. Accordingly, patients should avoid sunlight and sunlamps, and should use protective clothing and a sunscreen if they must go outdoors.

The nurse identifies which medication as posing a significant risk of causing confusion, somnolence, psychosis, and visual disturbances in elderly patients?

Ciprofloxacin [Cipro] In elderly patients, ciprofloxacin [Cipro] poses a significant risk of confusion, somnolence, psychosis, and visual disturbances. Metronidazole, rifampin, and daptomycin are not associated with confusion in elderly patients.

A patient who takes ciprofloxacin [Cipro] and runs 6 miles daily tells a nurse about heel and calf tenderness. The nurse anticipates the healthcare provider to take which action?

Discontinue the medication, because severe damage can result. Fluoroquinolones may result in tendinitis and rupture by disrupting the extracellular matrix of cartilage. Because tendon injury is reversible if diagnosed early, fluoroquinolones should be discontinued at the first sign of tendon pain or inflammation.

The healthcare provider orders levofloxacin [Levaquin] 500 mg PO every day for 7 days. The available medication is levofloxacin 250-mg tablets. How many tablets should the patient take each day?

2 tablets Two tablets that are each 250 mg would equal the ordered 500-mg daily dose.

A patient taking gemifloxacin develops a rash. The nurse anticipates the healthcare provider to take which action?

Discontinue the medication. The incidence of rash with gemifloxacin is much higher than with other fluoroquinolones. Women under 40 years of age are at greatest risk. Symptoms are severe in about 10% of patients who develop a rash; in the rest, symptoms are mild to moderate. As a rule, gemifloxacin-induced rash resolves spontaneously in 1 to 2 weeks, although some patients require treatment with systemic glucocorticoids. If rash develops, gemifloxacin should be discontinued.

Which approach should a nurse take when administering an oral dose of levofloxacin [Levaquin]?

Give the medication with or without food. Levofloxacin should not be administered with milk products or antacids containing magnesium or aluminum, because this reduces absorption from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, this does not happen with most foods. Premedicating with diphenhydramine is unnecessary.

A patient is taking daptomycin [Cubicin]. The nurse should obtain a creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level when the patient shows what?

Muscle pain and weakness Daptomycin is one of the cyclic lipopeptides, a class of antibiotics that can kill gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant

After completing a course of ciprofloxacin [Cipro] for a skin infection, the patient says, "I took the whole bottle of pills, but my infection hasn't gotten any better." Which additional information should the nurse recognize as most significant?

The patient takes antacids on a daily basis. Antacids interfere with the absorption of quinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin [Cipro], and many other drugs; therefore, this patient has not received the full dosing regimen, which is required if ciprofloxacin is to be effective against the infection. Storing the drug in a cool, dry area and using sunscreen or diphenhydramine would not disrupt the effectiveness of ciprofloxacin.