Practice Quiz

NCLEX-RN

Category - Pharmacological

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Danny, a 48-year-old grocery owner, has hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II. Diabetes mellitus type II was diagnosed six months ago. His triglyceride level is 250 mg/dL The VLDL is borderline high, and the HDL is 60 mg/dL When administering niacin, what strategies are used to prevent a significant side effect of this drug?
  1. Taking niacin with foods.
  2. Gradually increasing the niacin dosage.
  3. Avoiding taking warm drinks with this drug.
  4. Closely monitoring blood glucose.
Explanation
Answer: D - A common side effect of niacin is an increase in blood glucose, which is why the nurse should monitor for hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemic medications may be increased when taking niacin. In addition, the nurse should keep monitoring the triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Niacin acts by reducing hepatic synthesis of triglyceride and the secretion of VLDL. The remaining options are strategies to reduce unpleasant side effects such as skin flushing, pruritus and gastric irritation.
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