Pharmacology
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What this topic is really about
Morphine should be questioned when the client’s respiratory rate is dangerously low (e.g., 8 breaths/min) because opioids depress respiration.. Morphine is a potent opioid analgesic that can cause severe respiratory depression, making it contraindicated when a client's respiratory rate is already dangerously low at 8 breaths per minute.
The five rights of medication administration do not include right diagnosis.. The traditional five rights of medication administration focus on safety at the point of delivery: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time.
See the mechanism
The five rights of medication administration focus on safety at the point of delivery, and right diagnosis is not a core execution right. A diagram for this topic isn't available yet — the worked example below walks the same reasoning step by step.
An exam-style question, fully explained
The five rights of medication administration include all EXCEPT:
- Identify what the question tests: The five rights of medication administration include all EXCEPT:.
- The traditional five rights of medication administration focus on safety at the point of delivery: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time.
- While a nurse should understand the clinical context, the 'right diagnosis' (Option C) is not formally one of these five core execution rights, making it the correct exception.
- Why it matters: The five rights of medication administration focus on safety at the point of delivery, and right diagnosis is not a core execution right. It is a clinical understanding that should be considered, but not one of the five rights.
Traps the examiner sets
- Nurses may confuse right diagnosis with one of the five rights, but it is a separate consideration. Understanding the clinical context is essential for safe medication administration.
- Some nurses may think checking blood pressure is sufficient, but it is not the primary concern when administering digoxin.
- Learners often mistakenly think low blood pressure or mild fever are reasons to hold morphine, but the primary safety concern is respiratory depression.
- While monitoring blood pressure is important, it is not the primary assessment used to determine if digoxin should be safely given or held.
- In contrast, dairy products contain calcium and do not interfere with warfarin's mechanism, making them safe to consume.
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