A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has multiple sclerosis and a new prescription for baclofen.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?.
A.
“Avoid driving until the medication’s effects are evident.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.
“Stop taking the medication immediately for headache.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C.
“Diarrhea is an adverse effect of this medication.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D.
“Take the medication on an empty stomach.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The correct answer and Explanation is :<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct answer is: A. “Avoid driving until the medication’s effects are evident.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Baclofen is a muscle relaxant and antispastic agent commonly prescribed to manage spasticity in clients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It works by inhibiting reflexes at the spinal level, thereby relieving muscle spasms, pain, and tightness. However, like other muscle relaxants, baclofen can cause certain side effects that patients need to be aware of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, baclofen can cause drowsiness and impair driving ability, so it’s essential that the client understands to avoid driving until the medication’s effects are known.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has multiple sclerosis and a new prescription for baclofen.Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?.A.“Avoid driving until the medication’s effects are evident.\u201d. B.“Stop taking the medication immediately for headache.\u201d. C.“Diarrhea is an adverse effect of this medication.\u201d. D.“Take the medication on an empty stomach.\u201d. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
One of the most common side effects of baclofen is drowsiness or sedation. This can impair the patient\u2019s ability to perform tasks requiring alertness, such as driving. Therefore, it is crucial for the nurse to advise the client to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until they are aware of how the medication affects them. Some individuals may experience extreme sedation, especially when first starting the medication or when the dosage is increased.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Baclofen should not be stopped abruptly, as suggested in option B. Abrupt withdrawal can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, confusion, hallucinations, or increased muscle spasticity. Instead, the dosage should be tapered down gradually under medical supervision if discontinuation is needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Contrary to option C, baclofen is more likely to cause constipation rather than diarrhea. It can depress the central nervous system and relax smooth muscles, which can slow gastrointestinal motility, leading to constipation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Baclofen can cause gastrointestinal upset, so it is usually recommended to be taken with food or milk, which contradicts option D. Taking it with food helps minimize stomach irritation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n