Question

A patient who is taking NSAIDs for arthritis complains of a persistent heart burn. What further questions should the nurse ask the patient about the heart burn? (select all that apply)

a. "Do you take your medication with food?"
b. "Have you been drinking an increased amount of water?"
c. "Have you noticed a change in the color of your bowel movements?"
d. "What dosage of the NSAID are you taking?"
e. "Where is the hear burn located?"

Answer 1

The nurse should ask about food intake with medication, changes in bowel movement color, NSAID dosage, and the heartburn's location, as these can provide vital information regarding side effects or complications arising from NSAID use.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient who is taking NSAIDs for arthritis complains of persistent heartburn, a nurse should ask several probing questions to better understand the situation and to identify possible side effects or complications from the NSAID usage. The following questions are relevant:

• "Do you take your medication with food?" - Taking NSAIDs with food can sometimes reduce gastrointestinal side effects.
• "Have you noticed a change in the color of your bowel movements?" - This can indicate gastrointestinal bleeding, which is a serious side effect of NSAIDs.
• "What dosage of the NSAID are you taking?" - Dosage can impact the severity of side effects such as heartburn and more serious complications like ulcers or gastrointestinal bleeding.
• "Where is the heartburn located?" - This can help differentiate heartburn from other types of pain such as cardiac pain.

Asking about an increased intake of water (question b) might be less relevant in this case unless it is specifically related to the patient's methods of trying to alleviate the heartburn on their own.