Question

the healthcare provider discontinues prednisone, a glucocorticoid, for a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. which instructions should the nurse give the client about the regimen to follow? life - long treatment is common for chronic disease. the drug should be stopped immediately if no longer needed. the dose must be tapered over the course of 7 to 10 days. another glucocorticoid should be used to prevent cross - tolerance.

Explanation:

To determine the correct instruction for discontinuing prednisone (a glucocorticoid), we analyze each option:

• "Life - long treatment is common for chronic disease": Prednisone is not typically a lifelong treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in most cases, so this is incorrect.
• "The drug should be stopped immediately if no longer needed": Glucocorticoids like prednisone should not be stopped abruptly as they can cause adrenal insufficiency. So this is wrong.
• "The dose must be tapered over the course of 7 to 10 days": When discontinuing glucocorticoids, tapering the dose is necessary to allow the body's adrenal glands to resume normal function and prevent withdrawal symptoms and adrenal crisis. This is the correct approach.
• "Another glucocorticoid should be used to prevent cross - tolerance": There is no need to switch to another glucocorticoid just for prevention of cross - tolerance when discontinuing prednisone, especially in the context of COPD treatment.

Answer:

C. The dose must be tapered over the course of 7 to 10 days.