Question

A nurse is caring for a client with a prescription for enalapril. The nurse should identify which finding as an adverse effect of the medication?

a. Increased blood pressure
b. Persistent dry cough
c. Weight gain
d. Bradycardia

Answer 1

A persistent dry cough is an adverse effect of enalapril. This medication is an ACE inhibitor used to treat hypertension and works by decreasing blood pressure and aldosterone secretion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse caring for a client with a prescription for enalapril should identify a persistent dry cough as an adverse effect of the medication. Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor used primarily to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors like enalapril can decrease blood pressure by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, which reduces vasoconstriction and decreases the secretion of aldosterone. This often leads to an increase in the frequency of urination due to a decrease in sodium reabsorption.

However, one well-known side effect of ACE inhibitors is a persistent dry cough, which is caused by an increase in bradykinin levels that occur when the enzyme ACE is inhibited. Choices such as increased blood pressure, weight gain, and bradycardia are not typically associated with the use of enalapril. It is, in fact, used to lower high blood pressure and does not commonly cause significant changes in heart rhythm as beta blockers might.