Question

A male client is diagnosed with heart failure. The health care provider orders a loading dose of digoxin. Loading doses are necessary for what reason?

A) Digoxin's long half-life makes therapeutic serum levels difficult to obtain without loading.
B) The client is at risk for dysthymia with titrated doses.
C) Oral digoxin is ineffective for the treatment of heart failure.
D) Digoxin's short half-life increases the risk for toxicity.

Answer 1

A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Digoxin's long half-life makes therapeutic serum levels difficult to obtain without loading.

Answer 2

Option-A

Step-by-step explanation:

A loading dose is the higher level of dose provided initially to the patients at the beginning of the course for the treatment of disease. The loading doses are provided for the rapid attainment of the serum levels and is then provided in a lower amount.

The dose is useful for the drug which has a very long half-life that is being cleared from the body slowly like digoxin is provided in a higher amount to the heart failure disease.

The loading dose if not provided to the patient that the serum levels would not be achieved for the longer period of time like in the case of digoxin which could be difficult to maintain in the serum level.

Thus, Option-A is the correct answer.