Administration of Non Parenteral Medication Post Test

1. Which of the following are contraindications to oral medication administration? (Select all that apply.) A. Confusion. B. Inability to swallow. Correct C. Nausea/vomiting. Correct D. Postoperative after gastrointestinal surgery. Correct E. Continuous gastric suction. Correct F. Fluid restriction. Alterations in gastrointestinal function can interfere with drug absorption, distribution, and excretion. Giving oral medication to patients with impaired swallowing increases their risk of aspiration. The following are contraindications to oral medication administration: inability to swallow, nausea/vomiting, bowel inflammation, reduced peristalsis, gastrointestinal surgery, and gastric suction. Awarded 4.0 points out of 4.0 possible points. 2. The nurse administers a sublingual tablet and instructs the patient to avoid swallowing the tablet but rather to allow it to dissolve. The patient asks why. The nurse’s best response is: A. the tongue, "It is designed be absorbedthe through the vessels the undersurface of and if it to is swallowed, medication will be of destroyed by the gastric juices." Correct Sublingual medications are absorbed through blood vessels of the undersurface of the tongue. The effect of sublingual medications is quicker than that of oral medications. The sublingual route is more dangerous than the oral route because the medication is absorbed more rapidly. If swallowed, the drug is destroyed by gastric juices or so rapidly detoxified by the liver that therapeutic blood levels are never obtained. B. C. "It will work quicker this way than waiting until it is digested." "It is a safer method of taking the medication because it dissolves rapidly under your tongue and bypasses the liver so the drug won’t become toxic." "It will cause gastric irritation and may upset your stomach if it is swallowed." Awarded 1.0 points out of 1.0 possible points. D. 3. The nurse is administering medication to a patient when the patient accidentally drops the tablet on the floor. What should the nurse do? A. B. Allow the patient to take the tablet if it appears clean. Quickly remove the tablet from the floor and wipe off the tablet with a gloved hand. Administer the tablet because medications are costly. C. Ask the patient whether he would like for the nurse to obtain a new tablet or take the one that fell on the floor. Discard the tablet and get another one. Correct To prevent transmission of microorganisms, the nurse should discard the medication and repeat the preparation. A replacement may need to be obtained from the pharmacy with unit-dose systems. Awarded 1.0 points out of 1.0 possible points. D. 4. A patient is on a fluid restriction. When giving oral medications, which of the following considerations are needed? A. B. Use a commercial liquid thickener. Allow the patient to take medications with a small amount of water and document the amount on the patient's record. Correct The patient can take medications with water or juice; however, the amount should be documented and counted as part of the fluid restriction. Liquid thickener is used for patients who have difficulty swallowing and are at risk for aspiration. Some medications cannot be crushed. C. Allow the patient to take medications with water. The amount consumed does not affect fluid restriction. Avoid giving the patient any liquid. Crush the medications and offer them in applesauce. Awarded 1.0 points out of 1.0 possible points. D. 5. A patient states that she has difficulty swallowing pills and asks the nurse to crush them. Which of the following medications would it be okay to crush A. Enteric coated aspirin. B. Cardizem CD (diltiazem). C. A scored tablet of Lanoxin (digoxin). Correct a. Incorrect. Medications that are enteric coated should not be crushed because they are designed to dissolve in the small intestine to avoid gastrointestinal (GI) upset. b. Incorrect. Medications listed as CD (controlled dose), SR (slow-release), or LA (long-acting) should not be crushed because they are designed to be timereleased. *c. Correct! A scored tablet can be split, and there is nothing to indicate this is a time-release medication. d. Incorrect. Medications listed as CD (controlled dose), SR (slow-release), or LA (long-acting) should not be crushed because they are designed to be timereleased. Entex LA (guaifenesin). D. Awarded 1.0 points out of 1.0 possible points