Psychotic Disorders no. 4053

Psychotic Disorders no. 4053

QUESTION: A client begins clozapine (Clozaril) therapy after several other antipsychotic agents fail to relieve her psychotic symptoms. The nurse instructs her to return for weekly white blood cell (WBC) counts to assess for which adverse reaction?

✘O a.) Hepatitis
✘O b.) Infection
✓O c.) Granulocytopenia
✘O d.) Systemic dermatitis

RATIONALE

RATIONALE: Clozapine can cause life-threatening neutropenia or granulocytopenia. To detect this adverse reaction, a WBC count should be performed weekly. Hepatitis, infection, and systemic dermatitis aren't adverse reactions of clozapine therapy.
NURSING PROCESS STEP: Evaluation
CLIENT NEEDS CATEGORY: Physiological integrity
CLIENT NEEDS SUBCATEGORY: Pharmacological and parenteral therapies
COGNITIVE LEVEL: Knowledge