The nurse is providing care for a patient scheduled to take Precose (acarbose) 25 mg three times daily with meals. The patient reports feeling sweaty, weak, and tremulous. Which of the following actions by the nurse is best?
A) Reassure the patient that these are common side effects with the medication.
B) Call the pharmacy to report an adverse drug reaction.
C) Check the patient's blood glucose level.
D) Determine if the patient has a history of anemia.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms (sweating, weakness, tremulousness) suggest hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Precose is a medication used to treat diabetes by slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates, which can lead to hypoglycemia if not taken correctly. Checking the patient's blood glucose level is the priority action and will provide important information about whether the symptoms are related to the medication. Reassurance may be appropriate if the symptoms are mild and expected side effects, but should not be the first response. Reporting an adverse drug reaction to the pharmacy may be necessary, but is not the priority at this time. Anemia is not related to the symptoms described, so determining the patient's history of anemia is not the priority action.

The Nurse Is Providing Care for a Patient Scheduled to Take