Question

A nurse is caring for a client who is undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and will receive succinylcholine. The client asks the nurse about this medication. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

A. "It's given to help you relax before the procedure."
B. "It's an anesthetic to induce sleep during ECT."
C. "It prevents muscle movements during the seizure induced by ECT."
D. "It's an anti-anxiety medication to reduce stress during the procedure."

Answer 1

The nurse should inform the client that succinylcholine prevents muscle movements during the seizure induced by ECT.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should respond to the client's question by choosing option C, "It prevents muscle movements during the seizure induced by ECT." Succinylcholine is a medication that belongs to the class of neuromuscular blocking agents and is used to induce muscle relaxation and paralysis during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT involves the administration of an electric current to the brain to produce a controlled seizure, and succinylcholine helps prevent muscle movements during this procedure.