A healthcare provider is caring for a 4-year-old child who is resistant to taking medication. Which of the following strategies should the healthcare provider use to elicit the child's cooperation?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Offering children choices empowers them and can help in gaining cooperation, especially when it comes to taking medications. By providing options like taking the medication with juice or water, the child feels a sense of control and may be more willing to cooperate. This approach respects the child's autonomy and can make the experience more positive for both the child and the healthcare provider.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Patients with chronic kidney disease are often prescribed epoetin alfa to treat anemia. Epoetin alfa stimulates red blood cell production, increasing the body's demand for iron to support this process. Therefore, clients taking epoetin alfa should be advised to increase their dietary intake of iron-rich foods to meet the increased demand and prevent iron deficiency anemia.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In pharmacology, it is crucial to understand the principles of corticosteroid therapy to provide safe and effective care to clients. In this scenario, the correct answer is B) Adrenocortical insufficiency. When a client abruptly stops taking prednisone, a corticosteroid, after prolonged use, it can suppress the body's natural production of cortisol. Cortisol is essential for various physiological functions, including maintaining blood pressure, regulating metabolism, and responding to stress. Abrupt discontinuation can lead to adrenocortical insufficiency, as the adrenal glands may not be able to produce enough cortisol to meet the body's needs, resulting in potentially life-threatening complications. The incorrect options can be explained as follows: A) Hyperglycemia: While corticosteroids like prednisone can indeed increase blood sugar levels, abrupt discontinuation is more likely to lead to adrenocortical insufficiency rather than hyperglycemia. C) Severe dehydration: Discontinuing prednisone gradually helps prevent adrenal suppression, not dehydration. D) Rebound pulmonary congestion: This is not a common adverse effect associated with corticosteroid discontinuation but rather may occur with the use of certain medications for asthma. Educationally, it is important to teach students and healthcare professionals about the significance of tapering corticosteroid doses gradually to allow the body's adrenal glands to resume cortisol production safely. Understanding the mechanism of action and potential adverse effects of corticosteroids is essential in managing patients effectively and ensuring optimal outcomes in clinical practice.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: In pharmacology, levothyroxine is a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) used to treat hypothyroidism. The correct answer is D) Decrease in level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) indicates a therapeutic response to levothyroxine therapy. Levothyroxine works by replacing the deficient thyroid hormone, which in turn suppresses the release of TSH from the pituitary gland due to negative feedback. A decrease in TSH levels indicates that the thyroid hormone levels are within the therapeutic range. Option A) Decrease in the level of thyroxine (T4) would actually indicate a problem as the goal of levothyroxine therapy is to normalize T4 levels. Option B) Increase in weight would not be a sign of a therapeutic response to levothyroxine as weight gain is often a symptom of hypothyroidism, which should improve with treatment. Option C) Increase in hours of sleep per night is not a direct indicator of the effectiveness of levothyroxine therapy. While improved sleep may occur as a result of normalized thyroid function, it is not a specific marker of therapeutic response. Understanding the specific indicators of therapeutic response to medications is crucial in pharmacology to assess the effectiveness of treatment and ensure positive patient outcomes. Monitoring TSH levels is a key aspect of managing thyroid disorders and evaluating the success of levothyroxine therapy.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Limiting intake of caffeine-containing beverages is important for managing peptic ulcer disease as caffeine can stimulate gastric acid secretion, which may worsen the condition. It is advisable to choose decaffeinated beverages and avoid caffeinated drinks to help reduce the risk of aggravating the ulcer.