Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumHandling Hazardous and Infectious Materials

A nurse is preparing to administer routine medications via a nasogastric (NG) tube to a clinically stable client. One of the prescribed medications is a solid oral tablet designated by the facility as a hazardous drug. Which action is the safest and most appropriate for the nurse to take?

  1. Contact the pharmacy to request the hazardous medication be dispensed as a ready-to-use liquid formulation.Answer
  2. B
    Don a surgical face mask and crush the tablet in a standard medication cup at the client's bedside.
  3. C
    Delegate the task of educating the client about the hazardous medication's side effects to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
  4. D
    Prioritize the preparation of this hazardous medication over assessing a nearby client experiencing sudden tachypnea.

Answer

The safest action is to contact the pharmacy to request a ready-to-use liquid formulation of the hazardous medication.
Manipulating (e.g., crushing or splitting) hazardous drugs poses a significant risk of occupational exposure through aerosolized dust. The safest and most appropriate action is to eliminate the hazard entirely by requesting a commercially available or pharmacy-compounded liquid formulation, preventing exposure at the point of care.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the occupational risk associated with the prescribed medication.
Recognize that the medication is a designated hazardous drug, meaning that altering its solid form (crushing or splitting) can release dangerous aerosolized dust.
Inhalation or skin contact with hazardous drug particles can cause serious acute and chronic health effects.
2
Evaluate the required route of administration.
Determine that the medication must be given via a nasogastric (NG) tube, which strictly requires a liquid or dissolved formulation.
Solid tablets cannot pass through an NG tube and will cause an occlusion.
3
Determine the safest method to obtain the required liquid formulation.
Decide to contact the pharmacy to provide a commercially prepared or pharmacy-compounded liquid alternative.
This strategy follows the hierarchy of hazard controls by eliminating the nurse's need to manipulate the drug on the clinical unit, completely preventing the aerosolization risk.

Key Concept

Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs
Rate this question

Topics

Handling Hazardous and Infectious Materials

More questions from this topic