Question

A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has heart failure and a new prescription for a potassium sparing diuretic. Which of the following information should the nurse include in teaching?

1) The importance of monitoring serum potassium levels
2) The need to restrict dietary intake of potassium-rich foods
3) The potential for increased urine output while taking the diuretic
4) The need to take the diuretic with food to prevent gastrointestinal upset

Answer 1

When teaching a client with heart failure about taking a new potassium-sparing diuretic, a nurse should instruct on monitoring serum potassium levels, expect increased urine output, but not necessarily to restrict dietary potassium, and consider taking the medication with food to avoid gastrointestinal upset.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse providing discharge teaching to a client with heart failure who has a new prescription for a potassium-sparing diuretic should include several key points in their instructions. First, it's important to monitor serum potassium levels since potassium-sparing diuretics can lead to hyperkalemia. While loop diuretics and thiazide diuretics often necessitate a restriction in dietary potassium, potassium-sparing diuretics do not generally require a dietary potassium restriction due to their mechanism of preserving potassium. Instead, the client should be aware of the signs of hyperkalemia and have regular blood tests to monitor potassium levels. Second, the client should be informed about the potential for increased urine output, as diuretics are designed to remove excess fluid from the body, helping to reduce the workload on the heart. Lastly, taking the medication with food can help to minimize gastrointestinal upset, a common side effect of many medications.