Question

a nurse in a providers office receives a call from a client who was recently hospitalized and treated with imipenem iv for a bacterial infection and reports an inability to eat due to mouth pain. the nurse should identify that the client might be experiencing which of the following as an adverse effect of this medication?

malabsorption

superinfection

anorexia

dental caries

Explanation:

Imipenem is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. A common adverse effect of such antibiotics is superinfection, which can include oral conditions like thrush (oral candidiasis) that cause mouth pain and difficulty eating. Malabsorption is not a typical direct adverse effect of imipenem. Anorexia is a general loss of appetite, not linked to mouth pain from this medication. Dental caries are tooth decay unrelated to short-term use of this antibiotic.

Answer:

Superinfection