A nurse consults a drug manual before giving a medication to an 80-year-old patient. The manual states that older adult patients are at increased risk for hepatic side effects. Which action by the nurse is correct?
A) Contact the provider to discuss an order for pretreatment laboratory work.
B) Ensure that the drug is given in the correct dose at the correct time to minimize the risk of adverse effects.
C) Notify the provider that this drug is contraindicated for this patient.
D) Request an order to give the medication intravenously so that the drug does not pass through the liver.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The drug manual indicates that this drug should be given with caution to elderly patients. Getting information about liver function before giving the drug establishes baseline data that can be compared with post-treatment data to determine whether the drug is affecting the liver. Giving the correct dose at the correct interval helps to minimize risk, but without baseline information, the effects cannot be determined. The drug is not contraindicated.

A Nurse Consults a Drug Manual Before Giving a Medication