NCLEX Question on Antithyroid Medication (Nursing)

00:01 Let's walk through this NCLEX question together.

00:04 First, I'm going to read the stem of the question to you exactly as it's written. A nurse is caring for a patient who has been prescribed methimazole for hyperthyroidism. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the health care provider immediately? Okay. You know the drill.

00:21 Let's look at what's particular for this patient.

00:24 So we know they've been prescribed a medication Methimazole.

00:29 We hopefully know that that's an antithyroid medication because it's being prescribed for hyperthyroidism. So I'm thinking about what is the worst case scenario for antithyroid medications.

00:40 Do you have it in your mind? So what I'm going to be looking for because that last sentence, which of the following findings should the nurse report to the health care provider immediately? That's telling me I'm looking for the thing that indicates the patient is experiencing an adverse effect.

00:57 Or one of the black box warnings for an antithyroid medication like methimazole.

01:02 Okay, now we look at the answer choices.

01:05 Okay. We have blood pressure 128 / 82.

01:10 Is that connected to an adverse effect or black box for methimazole? No, that's actually a normal blood pressure.

01:18 So I'm going to cross that off.

01:20 And that why I'm doing that is because it's within normal limits.

01:24 Next up temperature 101.5.

01:27 That's high and they have a sore throat.

01:30 Is that connected to an adverse effect or black box warning for methimazole? I seem to remember something.

01:37 I'm going to keep it in heart rate of 82 beats a minute.

01:42 Well that's normal, right? It's not low or high. That's normal.

01:46 So I'm going to get rid of C.

01:48 And that's why I am because it's within normal limits.

01:51 Doesn't indicate any adverse effect.

01:53 What about mild nausea after taking the medication.

01:57 Well that is an adverse effect of methimazole.

02:00 So I'm going to leave in B and D.

02:04 And now I have to pick between those two.

02:06 Which one puts this particular patient at the highest risk? Because my job as a nurse is to keep them safe.

02:14 So is it the mild nausea or is it the temperature of 101.5 with sore throat? It's definitely B because those are signs and symptoms of Agranulocytosis, which we know is one of the black box warnings for Methimazole. So good job.

02:31 If you got that, well done.

02:33 If you didn't, keep practicing, you can do this.