The nurse is caring for a client who developed hives after taking the first dose of a newly prescribed medication. How should the nurse interpret this finding?

A. The client experienced an adverse reaction: Hives are a sign of an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction to the medication. This represents an unintended, harmful response that requires immediate attention, documentation, and potentially discontinuation of the drug. B. The client experienced drug toxicity: Drug toxicity usually results from excessive dosing or accumulation, causing systemic effects. Hives alone are not indicative of toxicity but rather an immune-mediated reaction. C. The drug produced a therapeutic effect: Therapeutic effects are the desired outcomes of a medication, such as symptom relief or disease control. Hives are an unwanted effect and do not indicate that the medication is achieving its intended purpose. D. The drug has not reached a steady state: Steady state refers to the point at which drug intake and elimination are balanced. Hives are unrelated to steady-state pharmacokinetics and occur independent of plasma concentration.