Question

A male client who takes dutasteride (Avodart) for benign prostatic hypertrophy calls the clinic. He says he tried to donate blood and was denied because of his medication. The client is very concerned about this and wants to know why this happened. What is the nurse's best response to the client?

a) "Have you ever given blood before? This medication may make your veins harder to access for blood donation."
b) "Your blood is slightly thicker while you are on this medication and the blood donation equipment is unable to handle it."
c) "This medication can harm a developing fetus so your blood could be harmful if given to a pregnant woman."
d) "It is dangerous for you to give blood because this medication makes you dizzy."

Answer 1

The nurse should explain to the client that the medication dutasteride can harm a developing fetus and therefore blood donation is usually deferred to prevent this potential harm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's best response to the client would be c) 'This medication can harm a developing fetus so your blood could be harmful if given to a pregnant woman.'

Dutasteride (Avodart) is a medication used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). It works by reducing the size of the prostate gland. However, it can also have potential risks to a developing fetus if the medication is passed through blood donation and given to a pregnant woman.

Therefore, individuals taking dutasteride are usually deferred from blood donation to prevent any potential harm to pregnant women.