A nurse is preparing to administer enteric-coated aspirin to an older adult client who had a cerebrovascular accident and has difficulty swallowing medications. The client asks the nurse if she will crush the medication to make it easier to swallow. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?.

Enteric-coated aspirin is designed to dissolve in the intestines rather than the stomach to reduce gastrointestinal irritation. Crushing the medication would destroy the coating, causing the aspirin to be released in the stomach, which could lead to side effects like stomach ache or indigestion. A. "If I crush it, you might experience a stomach ache or indigestion.”: This is accurate, as crushing the enteric coating would expose the stomach to aspirin, increasing the risk of irritation or ulceration. B. "I will crush it and mix it in some ice cream for you.”: This is incorrect, as crushing enteric-coated aspirin is not recommended due to the loss of the protective coating. C. "That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time.”: This is incorrect, as enteric-coated aspirin is not a time-release formulation; the coating is for stomach protection, not controlled release. D. "Stomach acid will inactivate some of the medication if I crush the medication.”: This is incorrect, as stomach acid does not significantly inactivate aspirin, but rather the concern is increased gastric irritation. The best response is A, as it correctly explains the risk of crushing the enteric-coated aspirin. Final Answer: A. "If I crush it, you might experience a stomach ache or indigestion.”