A client taking long-term corticosteroid therapy should be instructed to contact the health care provider before:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Corticosteroids can suppress the immune system, and patients taking long-term corticosteroid therapy may not have an appropriate response to live vaccines. Therefore, patients should contact their healthcare provider before receiving any live vaccines such as chickenpox or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR). It is important to note that inactive vaccines such as flu shots are safe for patients taking corticosteroids. Providing blood and urine specimens or taking an eye exam does not require contacting a healthcare provider beforehand.

A Client Taking Long-Term Corticosteroid Therapy Should Be Instructed to Contact