Intro to Pharm PrepU's Ch. 2-4

The nurse is assessing a client who is being admitted to the healthcare facility. When asked about allergies, the client states, "I'm allergic to penicillin." What is the nurse's best initial response?

A: "Do you remember what happened the last time you received penicillin?" Any report of an allergy should be documented and communicated clearly. However, the nurse also has a responsibility to gather as much data as possible, especially since clients may classify a wide range of adverse effects as allergies.

A client recently discovered that she is pregnant. She currently takes herbal medications to control her diabetes and the symptoms related to pregnancy. She asks the nurse if it is safe to take herbal medications while she is pregnant. What would the nurse tell this client?

A: "Most herbal and dietary supplements should be avoided during pregnancy or lactation."

Which information is necessary when planning discharge for the client? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Social supports - Financial supports - Client self-care ability

Implementing the nursing process, which activity would a nurse do first?

A: Ask the client about any chronic conditions

A client is suspected of having a liver injury as a result of drug therapy. What laboratory finding would best support this diagnosis?

A: Elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level Liver enzymes such as AST and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) would be elevated with liver injury.

A client is four months' pregnant. She works in the chemical unit of a research department and is responsible for handling various chemicals. Her gynecologist advised her not to expose herself to chemical or industrial vapors and specific drugs. These restrictions are advised because exposure to industrial vapors could:

A: damage the immature nervous system of the fetus. Neurotoxicity can occur as a result of exposure to drugs and other chemicals and gases, such as industrial vapors. Immature nervous systems such as those of the fetus and neonate can easily be damaged by drugs that produce neurotoxicity. Hence, the client has been advised not to expose herself to chemical or industrial vapors and specific drugs. The liver and kidney functions and the eighth cranial nerve of the fetus are not directly affected as a result of exposure to neurotoxic substances.

Define anaphylactic shock

Occurs shortly after administration of a drug to which the client is sensitive. It may be life-threatening and must be treated immediately. The client may experience respiratory, cardiovascular, integumentary, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

The nurse is assessing a community-dwelling client with a history of rheumatoid arthritis. During the interview, the client states, "The last few months, I have this ringing in my ears that I just cannot seem to get away from." What assessment question should the nurse ask?

A: "Have you been taking aspirin on a regular basis?" Aspirin is a relatively common cause of tinnitus and auditory nerve damage. As well, the fact that the client has an inflammatory disease makes it possible that the client is self-medicating with aspirin.

The nurse is aware that it requires approximately how many half-lives for a client to excrete a medication from the body?

A: 4-5 It takes five to six half-lives to eliminate approximately 98% of a drug from the body.

A nurse designing a drug regimen for a client should consider:

A: Quality-of-life issues Organizing the day and drug regimen to make it least intrusive on a client's lifestyle can help to prevent errors and improve compliance.

The nurse is providing for a client who is being treated for a Pseudomonas infection in the intensive care unit. The client's medication regimen includes gentamicin 75 mg IV t.i.d. When monitoring the client for adverse effects, what assessment should then nurse prioritize?

A: Urine output and creatinine clearance Gentamicin is among the most nephrotoxic medications. Consequently, the nurse should monitor the client closely for signs of nephrotoxicity, such as oliguria and decreased creatinine clearance.

Place the steps of the nursing process in the proper sequence from first to last. Use all options.

A: - Assessment - Analysis - Planning - Implementation - Evaluation

A nurse is administering medications to a 70-year-old female client. What normal physiologic changes that occur with aging will affect the absorption of medications? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Chronic illness - Decreased blood flow to the GI system - Decreased body surface area In the older adult, increased gastric pH levels, decreased rate of blood flow, decreased GI motility, and reduced body surface area may influence the rate of absorption. However, the degree to which these factors affect absorption is unclear.

What must occur prior to initiating an effective therapeutic regimen? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Client complies with other tasks of daily living - Client verbalizes desire to manage the medication regimen - Nurse's assessment of the client's ability to understand medication regimen - Assessment of client's education level

What can the tissue damage noted as an adverse effect of anti-rheumatoid drugs include? (Select all that apply.)

A: - GI motility - Skin problems - Hypoglycemia - Super-infections Tissue damage can include skin problems, mucous membrane inflammation, blood dyscrasia, super-infections, liver or renal toxicity, poisoning, hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, electrolyte disturbances, various central nervous system problems (ocular damage, auditory damage, atropine-like effects, Parkinson-like syndrome, neuroleptic malignant syndrome), and teratogenicity.

Which factors will decrease the rate of drug absorption? Select all that apply

A: - Higher drug concentration - Drug given by a subcutaneous route versus an intramuscular route - A disease that alters the stomach and small intestine lining Increased blood flow will increase the rate of absorption, but if there is a higher concentration of the drug already in the blood, then the drug will not be absorbed as quickly. Drugs given by a subcutaneous method are absorbed slower than medications given intramuscularly.

A client has been prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant and the nurse recognizes the client's associated risk for anticholinergic effects. What should the nurse teach the client about preventing and managing these adverse effects? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Maintain good oral hygiene to minimize dry mouth - Void before taking the medication so urinary hesitation is less problematic - Use caution in situations where it may be possible to become overheated Anticholinergic effects include dry mouth, decreased sweating, and urinary hesitation.

Many drugs can affect the functioning of the nerves in the periphery and central nervous system. Which are examples of potential neurologic effects of drugs? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Neuroleptic malignant syndrome - Parkinson-like syndrome - Atropine-like (anticholinergic) effects Many drugs can affect the functioning of the nerves in the periphery and central nervous system. Nerves function by using a constant source of energy to maintain the resting membrane potential and allow excitation.

What factors can potentially contribute to a hypersensitivity reaction? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Pathological condition - Unique receptors and cellular responses - Age-related changes Some clients are excessively responsive to either the primary or secondary effects of a drug resulting in a hypersensitivity reaction that may result from a pathological or underlying condition. Sometimes hypersensitivity reactions result with no definite pathological condition because each person has slightly different receptors and cellular responses.

The nurse is completing the seven "rights" of medication administration. What aspects of drug administration should the nurse confirm? (Select all that apply.)

A: - Right route - Right documentation - Right timing The nurse must consider seven points, or "rights", to ensure safe and effective drug administration. These are right drug and client, right storage of drug, right and most effective route, right dose, right preparation, right timing, and right recording of administration.

The nurse provides health education for a diverse group of clients. For which client should the nurse emphasize the risk of teratogenic drug effects?

A: 20-year-old female client who has been diagnosed with a chlamydial infection The risk of teratogenicity is a priority consideration for female clients of child-bearing age, not for males or prepubescent girls.

The nurse is administering a drug to a client that has a half-life of approximately 36 hours. The nurse knows that this drug will be administered every:

A: 24 hours Half-life is the time required for the body to eliminate 50% of a drug. It is used in planning the frequency of dosing of the drug. Drugs with a short half-life require more frequent dosing, while drugs with a long half-life such as 36 hours will only be administered once per day.

When a drug is given at a stable dose, how many half-life periods are required to achieve steady-state concentrations and develop equilibrium between tissue and serum concentrations?

A: 4 to 5 When a drug is given at a stable dose, 4 to 5 half-lives are required to achieve steady state concentrations and develop equilibrium between tissue and serum concentrations.

What client is experiencing an adverse effect that is a result of primary action?

A: A client taking anticoagulants who develops a gastrointestinal bleed Bleeding associated with anticoagulant therapy is an example of a primary action, the extension of the desired effect.

A female client has a 12-year history of ETOH abuse. The client is injured in a motor vehicle accident and requires surgery with general anesthesia. What would the nurse expect for this client?

A: A larger-than-normal dose of the general anesthetic Drug tolerance occurs when the body becomes accustomed to a particular drug over time, so that larger doses must be given to produce the same effects.

What is the characteristic action of an agonist?

A: Agonists bind to receptors and cause a physiologic effect. Agonists are drugs that produce effects similar to those produced by naturally occurring hormones, neurotransmitters, and other substances by activating (not blocking or counteracting) a receptor. Classification of a drug as an agonist does not denote a change to metabolism or distribution.

A nurse has identified the following: Risk for injury related to the central nervous system (CNS) effects of the prescribed drug therapy. What intervention should the nurse have completed in order to arrive at an appropriate nursing diagnosis?

A: Analyzed the data gathered In the nursing diagnosis step, the nurse identifies actual and potential problems, such as a risk for injury.

Preoperative atropine belongs to what classification of drugs?

A: Anticholinergic Atropine, a drug used preoperatively to dry up secretions, is the prototype anticholinergic drug.

The health care provider orders NPH U100 insulin 16 units SC every AM for a client. The nurse prepares the insulin dose. To ensure safety, what does the nurse do?

A: Ask another nurse to double-check the measurement. Measure doses accurately. Asks colleague to double-check measurements of insulin and heparin, unusual doses (i.e., large or small), and any drugs to be given intravenously.

Which characteristic allows for a drug to be stored in the body and released as needed?

A: Being protein bound Protein binding allows part of a drug dose to be stored and released as needed. Only the free or unbound portion of the drug acts on body cells. Therapeutic levels and half-life refer to active drug concentrations. An inert drug is inactive.

A nurse is caring for a 77-year-old. The nurse would know that a normal physiologic change that must be considered when planning drug therapy, and is associated with aging is:

A: Blood volume decreases As clients age, the body undergoes many normal changes that can affect drug therapy, such as decreased blood volume, decreased GI absorption, reduced blood flow to muscles or skin, etc.

A nurse is caring for a client who is prescribed multiple medications. Which clients are most likely to have adverse drug reactions?

A: Clients who are very young or very old

A client is receiving a drug to lower blood glucose level. What would lead the nurse to suspect that the client's blood glucose level was too low?

A: Cold, clammy skin Signs of hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose level, include fatigue; drowsiness; hunger; anxiety; headache; cold, clammy skin; shaking and lack of coordination (tremulousness); increased heart rate; increased blood pressure; numbness and tingling of the mouth, tongue, and/or lips; confusion; and rapid and shallow respirations. In severe cases, seizures and/or coma may occur.

Which activity would the nurse expect to complete during the evaluation phase of the nursing process in drug therapy?

A: Compare the outcome expected with the actual client outcome. In the evaluation phase, a nurse would compare the expected outcome goals of the treatment with the client's progress, thereby judging the effectiveness of nursing management. Questions are generally asked initially at the onset of drug therapy and compiled. These questions serve as a basis for preparing the client's education program. During the assessment phase of core client variables, the nurse physically examines the client and establishes all baselines. The evaluation phase is not the right time to reconsider core client variables and core drug knowledge because such critical information is essentially compiled in the assessment phase.

A 32-year-old client is admitted to the unit with a diagnosis of hypovolemia. The nurse writing a care plan for this client knows that an appropriate nursing diagnosis to help prevent medication errors is:

A: Deficient fluid volume Hypovolemia is a fluid volume in the body that is less than required. This would effect drug therapy for this client.

Which assessment should be made by the nurse before administering a new medication?

A: Determining the client's past medication history

Which of the following would be most likely to occur during the planning implementation step of the nursing process?

A: Developing appropriate outcomes for drug response

The nurse's discussion of the role of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes is focusing on what aspect of pharmacokinetics?

A: Drug metabolism that takes place in the liver Most drugs are metabolized by cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes in the liver. The CYP system consists of several groups of enzymes, some of which metabolize endogenous substances and some of which metabolize drugs.

A client comes to the clinic reporting tinnitus and difficulty hearing. What medication in the client's current regimen should the nurse suspect as causing the symptoms?

A: Erythromycin Macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin can cause severe auditory nerve damage manifested by ringing in the ears and hearing loss.

The client has been prescribed an oral medication. Prior to administration of this medication, what should the nurse do first?

A: Evaluate the client's ability to swallow

The nurse is preparing to administer a prescribed drug to a client with a history of renal disease. Why should the nurse anticipate administering a lower dose than for a client with healthy kidneys?

A: Excretion is likely to take place slowly. If the kidneys are not functioning properly, a drug may not be excreted properly and could accumulate in the body. Metabolism may be altered if the client has liver disease, not kidney disease. Distribution would be most impacted by alteration in cardiovascular function causing reduced perfusion of the tissues. Absorption is most impacted by gastrointestinal alterations.

"Evaluation" of the client's response to drug therapy relates most closely to which phase of the nursing process?

A: Goal The effectiveness of interventions to address the goal occurs in the evaluation phase of the nursing process. Once the problem is identified, the goal and plan are established.

When researching information about a drug, the nurse finds that the drug tightly binds to the protein. The nurse would interpret this to mean the drug will:

A: Have a long duration of action Drugs that are tightly bound to protein are released very slowly and have a very long duration of action because they are not free to be broken down or excreted. Drugs that are loosely bound tend to act quickly and to be excreted quickly.

Which medication prescription by the health care provider will require the nurse to seek clarification?

A: Heparin 5,000 u SC every day The abbreviation "u" should not be used alone because it can be mistaken for a 0, a 4, or "cc". The word unit should be written out to avoid confusion.

The nurse is caring for a client in the intensive care unit. This client took an overdose of acetaminophen 3 days previously and now has jaundice. Laboratory results show elevated liver enzymes. The nurse recognizes that the client may be experiencing what condition related to the overdose?

A: Hepatotoxicity Acetaminophen can cause hepatotoxicity or damage to the liver. Manifestations of hepatotoxicity include hepatitis, jaundice, elevated liver enzyme levels, and fatty infiltration of the liver.

A client is scheduled for a test. Prior to the test, the client must be premedicated. When administering the prescribed pre-procedure sedative, the nurse is performing an intervention associated with what step of the nursing process?

A: Implementation

The nurse checks a client's temperature before administering a standing prescription for acetaminophen for temperatures over 100° F (37.8°C). The client's temperature is 98.9°F (37.2°C), so the nurse decides to withhold the dose of acetaminophen. Withholding the dose represents which phase of the nursing process?

A: Implementation Giving or withholding a drug is a nursing activity related to the implementation phase of the nursing process. The nurse uses analysis of the data gathered of the temperature not being high enough to administer the medication.

The nursing instructor is discussing drug therapy in the older adult. The instructor would tell the students that what could affect therapeutic dosing in an older adult?

A: In older adults, drugs have decreased Gl absorption. As patients age, the body undergoes many normal changes that can affect drug therapy, such as a decreased blood volume, decreased Gl absorption, reduced blood flow to muscles or skin, and changes in receptor site responsiveness. They are not released more quickly into circulation; distributed to a smaller portion of tissue; nor do they have an increased action.

The nurse is administering several medications to a black client with hypertension. Which medication prescribed should the nurse monitor carefully for effectiveness since in this ethnic group, it may be less effective?

A: Lisinopril Black clients respond differently to some cardiovascular drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. These drugs are found to be less effective in this ethnic group and may respond better to diuretics such as furosemide and calcium channel blockers.

The nurse is caring for an adult client of Asian descent. When considering safe dosing and risk reduction for this client, which aspect of pharmacokinetics will be of greatest concern?

A: Metabolism Some responses to drug therapy are genetically determined and may differ in various ethnic and racial populations. Clients of Asian descent have the ability to metabolize and excrete medications more quickly than white clients and those of African descent.

A nurse begins a client interaction by systematically gathering information on the client's care and eventually evaluating the outcomes of care. Which represents this continuum of care?

A: Nursing process The nursing process is a systematic way of gathering and using information to plan and provide individualized client care and to evaluate the outcomes of care.

An older adult client must take a variety of medicines under different conditions and at different times of the day. The client's spouse is available to help most of the time. How can the couple best ensure that the client takes all medicines under the correct conditions?

A: Once a week, dispense all medicines in a large divided container Keeping track of medicines can be a great problem in such cases. Although the spouse can help (perhaps by reordering from the pharmacy and doing the weekly dispensing), clients should take this major responsibility unless they are incapable of doing so.

A client comes to the clinic reporting of a ringing sound in the ears and dizziness. When the nurse takes the client's history, the nurse discovers that the client has been taking several ibuprofen every day for various discomforts. What does the nurse understand has occurred with this client?

A: Ototoxicity from the ibuprofen Ototoxicity is damage to the eighth cranial nerve. It may or may not be reversible. Signs and symptoms of ototoxicity include tinnitus, which is a buzzing or ringing sound in the ear, and sensorineural hearing loss.

A client with a longstanding diagnosis of schizophrenia has taken antipsychotic drugs for several decades. For what adverse effect should the nurse assess?

A: Parkinsonian symptoms Extreme restlessness or jitters are associated with Parkinson-like syndrome that may occur with antipsychotic agents.

The nurse is administering an antibiotic to a client with a diagnosis of cellulitis of the left leg. Which client condition would have the greatest effect on the drug's distribution?

A: Peripheral vascular disease Distribution of a medication is affected by blood flow. Hypertension and peripheral vascular disease both impair blood flow. A client with peripheral vascular disease would have the least effective rate of drug distribution because of decreased circulation in the extremities.

A nurse is administering drugs to a 70-year-old who has a reduced plasma albumin level. When assessing the patient for therapeutic outcomes of drug therapy, the nurse will also be careful to observe for:

A: Possible drug toxicity Decreased levels of plasma albumin can lead to fewer binding sites for protein-binding drug molecules. Decreased binding sites results in higher concentrations of unbound forms of a drug, which increases the risk of adverse effects and toxicity and can increase therapeutic effects.

The nurse is reviewing a client's health history and medication administration record. Which drug would most likely induce the effects of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system?

A: Prednisone Nicotine, alcohol, and glucocorticoids such as prednisone induce the effects of the P450 enzyme system. Ketoconazole, quindine, and mexiletine inhibit the effects.

The nurse is reviewing the laboratory test results of a client receiving drug therapy. What would the nurse suspect if the results reveal an elevation in the blood urea nitrogen level and creatinine concentration?

A: Renal injury Renal injury is reflected by elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentration.

A client receiving drug therapy develops numbness and tingling in the extremities and muscle cramps. What assessment should the nurse perform?

A: Review the client's most recent potassium level Hypokalemia is suggested by numbness and tingling in the extremities, muscle cramps, weakness, and irregular pulse.

A client is experiencing central nervous system effects related to drug therapy. Which would be most important for the nurse to emphasize in the teaching plan?

A: Safety measures For central nervous system effects such as confusion, delirium, and drowsiness, safety measures would be a priority to prevent injury.

When instructing a client who is taking an antibiotic about the possibility of nausea and diarrhea, the nurse understands that these effects are examples of:

A: Secondary actions Secondary actions are effects that are inevitable and undesired but not related to the desired pharmacologic effects. Nausea and diarrhea are examples of secondary actions due to an antibiotic's effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

A nursing student is learning about disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The student learns that these drugs have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties as well as what?

A: Slow tissue damage Some anti-rheumatic drugs are deposited into the tiny arteries of the eye, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Chloroquine (Aralen), a drug used to treat some rheumatoid diseases, can cause retinal damage and even blindness.

Absorption of a drug administered orally will take primarily in what anatomical location?

A: Small intestine Most oral drugs must be swallowed, dissolved in gastric fluid, and delivered to the small intestine (which has a large surface area for absorption of nutrients and drugs) before they are absorbed. The stomach focuses on the process of digestion; the kidneys and liver participate in metabolism. Absorption occurs in the small intestines.

What is the primary purpose associated with the use of the nursing process related to the implementation of medication therapy?

A: That holistic, evidence-informed care is given

Which organization is responsible for the continuation of defining, explaining, classifying, and researching summary statements about health problems related to nursing?

A: The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association-International (NANDA)

A client is on antibiotic therapy for an axillary abscess. The client has been outside working in the yard and observes a rash everywhere that is not covered by clothing. What should the client be told about this finding?

A: The client is having photosensitivity and this can occur even with brief exposure to the sun or UV rays. The client's environment may increase the likelihood that a certain adverse effect will occur. Some antibiotics can cause the adverse effect of photosensitivity.

The nurse is providing health education for a middle-aged client who has been prescribed two new medications following a clinic visit. What characteristic of the client's status should the nurse recognize as the greatest risk for noncompliance with drug therapy?

A: The client reports being "desperately poor" Drug costs can be prohibitive, leading to the risk that the client will not obtain and take them.

A newly admitting client has signs and symptoms of an infection and the nurse anticipates that the client will be prescribed antibiotics. What assessment should the nurse prioritize when determining the client's risk for an excessive drug response due to impaired excretion?

A: The client's blood urea nitrogen level and creatinine clearance rate Renal impairment creates a risk for excessive drug responses due to delayed, or absent, excretion. This variable will likely have a greater bearing than the client's BMI, hydration status, and blood glucose.

What information from the Kardex is likely to have the greatest implication in educating the client about antihistamine administration?

A: The client's profession Most antihistamines cause drowsiness, so the nurse should advise the client not to operate machinery or perform tasks that require alertness when taking antihistamines. Because the client is not an older adult, his age has no implications on the therapy.

How would the dosage of a partly protein-bound drug be altered if another drug having a higher attraction to albumin than the first drug is administered?

A: The dosage of the first drug may have to be decreased. The second drug has a higher attraction to albumin than the first drug has. Hence, the second drug will bump or displace the first drug in order to bind with the protein.

A client who was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease 20 years ago is currently in the late stage of the disease. The client's caregiver asks the nurse if the client can go back on the medication donepezil. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

A: The drugs are best used early as they slow the progression of AD Drugs used in AD early slow the mental and physical degeneration associated with the disease. The drugs must be taken routinely to slow the progression.

A 70-year-old man who enjoys good health began taking low-dose aspirin several months ago based on recommendations that he read in a magazine article. During the man's most recent visit to his care provider, routine blood work was ordered and the results indicated an unprecedented rise in the man's serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. How should a nurse best interpret these findings?

A: The man may be experiencing nephrotoxic effects of aspirin Damage to the kidneys is called nephrotoxicity. Decreased urinary output, elevated blood urea, nitrogen, increased serum creatinine, altered acid-base balance, and electrolyte imbalances can all occur with kidney damage.

The nurse administers an anticholinergic medication to the client. When assessing this client, what finding should the nurse interpret as a secondary effect of the drug?

A: Urinary hesitancy Anticholinergic secondary effects include dry mouth, altered taste perception, dysphagia, heartburn, constipation, bloating, paralytic ileus, urinary hesitancy, and retention, impotence, blurred vision, headache, etc.

A 67-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. He reports to the nurse that he has chronic arthritis and circulation problems. The client has a history of mild hypertension. He explains that he owns a business and lives alone. The nurse determines that he is within the normal weight range for his height and age but has a fondness for spicy foods and sweets. Which of the mentioned patient variables will have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of the client's drug therapy?

A: Vascular impairment Vascular impairment would have the greatest implication on drug therapy for the patient. Blood flow can affect the rate of absorption. Clients who have impaired circulatory systems absorb drugs less rapidly than those with normally functioning systems. Distribution depends on blood flow to the tissues, the drug's ability to leave the blood, and the drug's ability to enter cells.

A client with a serious Escherichia coli infection is being treated with gentamicin. When monitoring for potential adverse effects, the nurse should prioritize:

A: blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels Gentamicin is an example of a drug that holds the potential for renal toxicity. This drug is not associated with hepatic damage, electrolyte disturbances or disruptions of skin integrity.

A client develops a skin reaction to one of their prescribed medications. This client also has a specific underlying pathology. The underlying pathology might serve as a:

A: contraindication for the use of certain medications The possibility that the adverse effects can occur also accounts for the contraindications for the use of some drugs in clients with a particular history or underling pathology.

A client develops stomatitis from drug therapy. Which measure would be most appropriate for the nurse to suggest?

A: frequent rinsing with cool liquids For stomatitis, the nurse should recommend frequent mouth care with a nonirritating solution. This may include frequent rinsing with cool liquids. The client should consume frequent small meals rather than three large meals. An astringent mouthwash or a firm toothbrush would be too irritating.

The nurse has begun the intravenous infusion of the first dose of a client's prescribed antibiotic. A few minutes later, the client is diaphoretic, gasping for breath and has a heart rate of 145 beats per minute. After calling for help, what is the nurse's priority action?

A: protecting and maintaining the patency of the client's airway This client's presentation is suggestive of anaphylaxis. In the care team's immediate treatment, maintaining airway is a priority. Epinephrine is administered in the short term, not antihistamines.

Which skin condition would be most likely to cause increased systemic absorption of a topical medication?

A: severe sunburn Systemic absorption from the skin is minimal but may be increased when the skin is inflamed or damaged. Severe sunburn would be an example of inflamed skin.