Question

a nurse is speaking to a client who is taking sertraline and reports drinking grapefruit juice. the nurse explains that grapefruit juice inhibits an enzyme in the liver that is used to metabolize sertraline. the nurse should recognize the clients risk for which of the following?
reduced medication absorption
medication dependence
altered medication distribution
medication toxicity

Explanation:

1. Analyze each option:

• Reduced medication absorption: Grapefruit juice inhibiting liver enzyme for metabolism doesn't directly reduce absorption. Absorption is about getting the drug into the bloodstream, while metabolism is about breaking it down. So this is incorrect.
• Medication dependence: Dependence is about psychological or physical need for the drug, not related to enzyme inhibition by grapefruit juice. So this is incorrect.
• Altered medication distribution: Distribution is about how the drug spreads in the body. Enzyme inhibition for metabolism doesn't affect distribution. So this is incorrect.
• Medication toxicity: If the liver enzyme that metabolizes sertraline is inhibited by grapefruit juice, the drug will not be broken down as effectively. This leads to higher levels of sertraline in the body, increasing the risk of toxicity.

Answer:

Medication toxicity