A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who is taking hydrochlorothiazide. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A.
Take the medication on an empty stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.
Muscle weakness is an expected adverse effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C.
Increase daily intake of foods high in potassium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D.
Take the medication at bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The correct answer is C. Increase daily intake of foods high in potassium.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic commonly used to manage hypertension and edema associated with conditions such as heart failure. It works by increasing the excretion of sodium and water through the kidneys, which helps reduce fluid volume and lower blood pressure. However, thiazide diuretics also cause increased potassium excretion, which can lead to hypokalemia (low potassium levels).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Potassium Loss:<\/strong> One of the key side effects of hydrochlorothiazide is potassium depletion due to increased renal excretion. Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) can lead to muscle weakness, cramps, irregular heart rhythms, and fatigue. It\u2019s essential for clients to maintain adequate potassium levels through diet or supplements. Foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, spinach, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, should be emphasized in the teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Option A – Take the medication on an empty stomach:<\/strong> This is incorrect. Hydrochlorothiazide should be taken with food to help reduce gastrointestinal upset. Taking it on an empty stomach can lead to nausea or stomach discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Option B – Muscle weakness is an expected adverse effect:<\/strong> While muscle weakness can occur as a sign of hypokalemia, it is not a desired or expected effect of the medication. Muscle weakness may be an indication that potassium levels are too low, and it should be reported to the healthcare provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Option D – Take the medication at bedtime:<\/strong> This is incorrect because hydrochlorothiazide increases urine production. If taken at bedtime, it can cause nocturia (frequent urination at night), disrupting sleep. It is generally recommended to take the medication in the morning to prevent this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, clients taking hydrochlorothiazide need to be aware of the potential for hypokalemia and the importance of increasing potassium intake. Additionally, the medication should be taken with food and in the morning to avoid gastrointestinal upset and frequent urination at night. Regular monitoring of electrolytes, particularly potassium, is essential for safe use of the drug.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who is taking hydrochlorothiazide. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching? A.Take the medication on an empty stomach. B.Muscle weakness is an expected adverse effect. C.Increase daily intake of foods high in potassium. D.Take the medication at bedtime. The Correct Answer and […]<\/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-141214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exams-certification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141214","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=141214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141214\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.learnexams.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Explanation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n