A nurse is preparing to administer medications to a newly admitted client who has bipolar disorder and is experiencing mania. Which of the following medications should the nurse plan to administer?

Introduction: Bipolar disorder management during acute mania focuses on rapid mood stabilization through the administration of antimanic agents that modulate neurotransmitter signaling to reduce psychomotor agitation and expansive affect. A. Haloperidol is a first-generation antipsychotic often used for acute agitation; however, 2.5 mg IM is a relatively low dose for severe mania, and PRN administration does not provide the consistent mood stabilization required for a newly admitted client. It addresses the behavioral symptoms rather than the underlying pathophysiology of the bipolar cycle. B. Lithium carbonate is the gold standard for long-term and acute mood stabilization in bipolar disorder. A dosage of 600 mg three times daily is a common therapeutic starting point to reach a steady-state serum concentration between 0.6 and 1.2 mEq/L, directly treating the manic episode by altering ion transport and neuroplasticity. C. Aripiprazole 400 mg IM every 4 weeks is a long-acting injectable (LAI) formulation used for maintenance therapy. It is not appropriate for the acute management of a newly admitted client in active mania, as it takes time to reach therapeutic levels and cannot be titrated rapidly to meet the client's immediate clinical needs. D. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic weight management. It has no therapeutic role in the stabilization of bipolar mania or psychiatric symptom management, and its administration would be irrelevant to the client's current mental health crisis.