Gerontology ATI

Question 1

2. A nurse is preparing to administer medications to an older adult client who had a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and has difficulty swallowing medications.
   The client asks the nurse if the prescribed enteric-coated aspirin (Ecotrin)
   can be crushed to make it easier to swallow. Which of the following would be an appropriate response by the
   A. “That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time.”
   Rationale: The enteric coating does not allow sustained release of the medication over time.
   B. “I will crush it and mix it in some ice cream for you.”
   Rationale: This is not an appropriate response by the nurse.
   C. “If I crush it you may experience a stomachache or indigestion.”
   Rationale: The pill is enteric-coated to prevent it from dissolving in the stomach and causing Gl distress.
   Crushing the pill destroys that protection.
   D. “If I do that some of the medication will be inactivated by stomach acid.”
   Rationale: This is not an appropriate response by the nurse.

Answer 1

C. “If I crush it you may experience a stomachache or indigestion.”
Rationale: The pill is enteric-coated to prevent it from dissolving in the stomach and causing Gl distress.
Crushing the pill destroys that protection.