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    Hesi rn 301 pharmacology final exam

    An older female client comes to the clinic for a regular check-up. The client tells the nurse that she has increased her daily doses of acetaminophen for the past month to control joint pain. Based on this patient's comment, which previous laboratory results should the nurse compare with today's laboratory report?

    Explanation & Rationale

    A. Determine if there is a decrease in serum potassium due to renal compromise: Acetaminophen is not commonly associated with significant renal impairment or changes in serum potassium levels, making this a less relevant consideration. B. Expect to find an increase in today's activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) as compared to last quarter's due to bleeding: Acetaminophen does not significantly affect APTT or bleeding risk, so changes in APTT would not be expected due to acetaminophen use. C. Look at last quarter's hemoglobin and hematocrit, expecting an increase today due to dehydration: Acetaminophen is not known to cause changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels or dehydration-related increases in these values. D. Look for an increase in today's lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) compared to the previous one to assess for possible liver damage: Acetaminophen overdose or chronic high use can lead to liver damage, which would be indicated by elevated LDH levels. Monitoring LDH is appropriate to assess for potential liver damage related to acetaminophen use.

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