Question

The nurse is assessing a male with a history of Addison's disease. The client has flu-like symptoms and nausea with vomiting over the past week. The client's spouse reports that he acted confused and was extremely weak when he awoke this morning. The client is febrile and has tachycardia. The health care provider diagnoses acute adrenal insufficiency. Which medication will most likely be prescribed?

a. Hypertonic saline solution at 100 ml/hr until all edema disappears
b. Hydrocortisone 100 mg IV every six hours until systolic BP reaches 110 mmHg
c. Potassium chloride 20 mEq IV to infuse over 2 hours until confusion resolves
d. Regular insulin drip to keep blood glucose around 100 mg/dl (5.55 mmol/L)

Answer 1

The medication that will most likely be prescribed for a patient with acute adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison's disease, is hydrocortisone 100 mg IV every six hours until systolic BP reaches 110 mmHg.

Step-by-step explanation:

The medication that will most likely be prescribed for a patient with acute adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison's disease, is hydrocortisone 100 mg IV every six hours until systolic BP reaches 110 mmHg. Acute adrenal insufficiency is a medical emergency caused by a deficiency of cortisol from the adrenal glands. Hydrocortisone is a glucocorticoid medication that helps replace the deficient cortisol and stabilize the patient's blood pressure.