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Difficulty: EasyHigh Risk Behaviors

A practical nurse (PN) is reinforcing teaching for a client who was recently prescribed a central nervous system depressant. The client states, "I plan to continue having a few beers every night before bed." Which of the following is the priority response by the PN?

  1. A
    Why do you feel it is necessary to drink beer every night before bed?
  2. B
    Taking the medication with a large meal will prevent the alcohol from upsetting your stomach.
  3. Mixing this medication with alcohol can cause severe breathing problems and is very dangerous.Answer
  4. D
    I will adjust your medication schedule so you take the pills in the morning instead.

Answer

The practical nurse must clearly and directly warn the client that mixing alcohol with a central nervous system depressant can lead to life-threatening respiratory depression.
The correct answer directly addresses the highest-priority safety issue. Alcohol and prescribed CNS depressants have a synergistic effect that can cause profound respiratory depression and death. The practical nurse must clearly reinforce this critical safety information to prevent harm.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's statement to identify the risk.
The client intends to combine alcohol (a known central nervous system depressant) with a newly prescribed CNS depressant medication.
Identifying the specific high-risk behavior is necessary to determine the appropriate and safe nursing intervention.
2
Determine the priority clinical risk based on the ABC framework.
The combination of two CNS depressants significantly increases the risk of severe respiratory depression, making breathing the priority concern.
According to the Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABC) prioritization framework, physiological breathing risks take highest precedence.
3
Select the most appropriate and therapeutic response.
The response that addresses the immediate life-threatening danger of respiratory depression is chosen.
The practical nurse's primary responsibility is client safety and reinforcing critical education regarding dangerous high-risk behaviors.

Key Concept

Mitigating High-Risk Behaviors: Concurrent Use of CNS Depressants
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Topics

High Risk Behaviors

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