The nurse is caring for a client on heparin. What is the most important lab value to monitor?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: aPTT. This lab value is crucial for monitoring heparin therapy as it measures the effectiveness of the medication in preventing blood clots. Monitoring aPTT helps ensure the client is within the therapeutic range to prevent bleeding or clotting complications. Incorrect choices: B: INR is used to monitor warfarin therapy, not heparin. C: Platelet count is important, but aPTT is more directly related to heparin therapy. D: Hemoglobin is important for assessing anemia but not specific to monitoring heparin therapy.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Hold the next dose of warfarin. With an INR of 1.5, the client's blood is not adequately anticoagulated, increasing the risk of blood clots. Holding the next dose will prevent further thinning of blood and allow the INR to increase to the target range. Increasing the dose (A) could lead to over-anticoagulation, risking bleeding. Continuing the current dose (C) maintains inadequate anticoagulation. Monitoring (D) is important, but the immediate action should be to hold the next dose.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Notify the healthcare provider immediately. When a client on nitroglycerin reports chest pain, it could indicate a worsening condition or potential myocardial infarction. The nurse's priority is to notify the healthcare provider promptly for further assessment and intervention. Administering nitroglycerin (choice A) may not address the underlying cause of the chest pain. Administering morphine (choice B) may mask symptoms and delay appropriate treatment. Administering aspirin (choice C) is important in chest pain management but does not take priority over notifying the healthcare provider for further evaluation and guidance.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Cough. Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor that can cause a dry, persistent cough as a common side effect. It is important to monitor for this because it can indicate a potentially serious adverse reaction called angioedema. Hyperkalemia (B) is a possible side effect of enalapril but is typically not as urgent to monitor as cough. Hypotension (C) is a common side effect but is usually monitored during the initial dose titration. Dizziness (D) is a less common side effect and is often transient. Monitoring for cough is crucial to detect and manage any potential angioedema promptly.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.