Final answer:
The nurse should explain to the client that tuberculosis requires multiple medications because the organism is difficult to destroy and may develop drug resistance. The combination of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and streptomycin sulfate is necessary for a complete cure and to combat potentially resistant strains of the pathogen.
Step-by-step explanation:
In response to a client with tuberculosis (TB) who is concerned about taking multiple medications, the nurse should explain that "This type of organism is difficult to destroy." TB is caused by a bacterium that can be very challenging to treat due to its ability to develop resistance to drugs. A combination of drugs, including isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide, sometimes complemented with streptomycin sulfate, is necessary to ensure the best chance at eradication of the bacteria, prevent the development of drug-resistant strains, and to achieve a cure. This kind of aggressive therapy is needed to combat the Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogen, especially given the global concern over the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) strains. Each medication has a specific role, with isoniazid being an antimetabolite that disrupts the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, whereas rifampin also interferes with bacterial reproduction but in a different manner. Pyrazinamide is effective in the acidic environment of phagolysosomes where the TB bacteria can hide, and streptomycin is an aminoglycoside that inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria. The treatment duration for TB is lengthened due to the chronic nature of the disease, often requiring months to years of medication adherence to ensure complete eradication of the infection and to prevent recurrence.