A patient who has been receiving intravenous gentamicin for several days reports having had a headache for 2 days. The nurse will request an order to:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A persistent headache may be a sign of developing ototoxicity, and since ototoxicity is largely irreversible, gentamicin should be withdrawn at the first sign of developing ototoxicity. A gentamicin trough should be obtained before the next dose is given when high gentamicin levels are suspected. Analgesics are not indicated until a serious cause of the headache has been ruled out. A headache is an early sign of ototoxicity, not nephrotoxicity.

A Patient Who Has Been Receiving Intravenous Gentamicin for Several