Question

A nurse in an emergency department is assessing a client who reports sudden, severe eye pain with blurry vision. The provider determines the client has primary angle-closure glaucoma. Which of the following medications should the nurse expect to administer?

A. Timolol
B. Pilocarpine
C. Atropine
D. Acetazolamide

Answer 1

Pilocarpine is the medication the nurse should expect to administer for a client with primary angle-closure glaucoma, as it helps reduce intraocular pressure by contracting the ciliary muscle and opening aqueous humor drainage paths.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should expect to administer Pilocarpine to a client who has been determined to have primary angle-closure glaucoma and reports sudden, severe eye pain with blurry vision. Pilocarpine, which is a nonspecific muscarinic agonist, is used to treat disorders of the eye by reversing mydriasis and facilitating the outflow of aqueous humor, which in turn reduces intraocular pressure. This treatment is particularly needed in primary angle-closure glaucoma where increased intraocular pressure is a central issue.

Individuals over 40 years of age are at a greater risk of developing glaucoma and should have their intraocular pressure tested regularly as excessive intraocular pressures can be detected and controlled effectively with the right medication and management strategies.