Question

a nurse is teaching a client who has a prescription for prednisone and takes 1,500 mg/day of calcium carbonate to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. which of the following information should the nurse include? (select all that apply.)

• take the calcium tablets with food.
• drink 240 ml (8 oz) of water with the calcium tablets.
• chew calcium tablets before swallowing them.
• take the medications 1 hr apart.
• divide the daily dosage of calcium into three 500 - mg doses.

Explanation:

• Take the calcium tablets with food: Calcium carbonate is better absorbed with food as food stimulates gastric acid production which aids in calcium absorption. So this is correct.
• Drink 240 mL (8 oz) of water with the calcium tablets: Drinking water with calcium tablets helps in swallowing and also aids in absorption. This is a correct instruction.
• Chew calcium tablets before swallowing them: Calcium carbonate tablets are usually swallowed whole (some chewable ones exist, but the general instruction for calcium carbonate for osteoporosis prevention is not to chew unless specified as chewable). So this is incorrect.
• Take the medications 1 hr apart: Prednisone (a steroid) and calcium carbonate can interact, so taking them an hour apart helps in proper absorption of both. This is correct.
• Divide the daily dosage of calcium into three 500 - mg doses: Calcium carbonate has better absorption when taken in divided doses (as the body can only absorb a certain amount at a time), so dividing 1500 mg into three 500 - mg doses is correct.

Answer:

• B. Drink 240 mL (8 oz) of water with the calcium tablets.
• D. Take the medications 1 hr apart.
• E. Divide the daily dosage of calcium into three 500 - mg doses.
• A. Take the calcium tablets with food.