On beginning the administration of 500 mg of aztreonam IV to a client

On beginning the administration of 500 mg of aztreonam IV to a client with a urinary tract infec-tion, the client complains of difficulty breathing. The nurse quickly identifies this as a symptom of a(n):

1. Therapeutic effect
2. Anaphylactic reaction
3. Idiosyncratic reaction
4. Medication interaction

ANSWER

ANS: 2
Anaphylactic reactions are characterized by sudden constriction of bronchiolar muscles. Thera-peutic effect is what is expected physiological response. Idiosyncratic reactions are those in which a client overreacts or underreacts to a medication or has a reaction different than normal. Medication interactions are when one medication modifies the action of another medication.