NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

What action by the nurse will result in the fastest relief of a client's headache when administering aspirin?

1. Administer the aspirin in an enteric coated formulation

2. Administer the aspirin on an empty stomach

3. Administer the aspirin with a high-fat food like peanut butter

4. Administer the aspirin with an alkaline food like cottage cheese

The correct answer is: Administer the aspirin in an enteric coated formulation

When administering aspirin for the fastest relief of a client's headache, it is essential to choose an option that allows rapid absorption of the medication. Answer A, administering the aspirin in an enteric-coated formulation, is the correct choice. Enteric-coated aspirin is coated to prevent dissolution in the stomach, which can cause irritation and delay absorption. By bypassing the stomach and dissolving in the small intestine, enteric-coated aspirin can be absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream, leading to faster relief of the headache. Options B, C, and D are not the best choices for fast relief of a headache with aspirin. Administering aspirin on an empty stomach (option B) may lead to stomach irritation and slow absorption. Administering aspirin with high-fat food like peanut butter (option C) or alkaline food like cottage cheese (option D) can delay the absorption of aspirin and subsequently slow down the relief of the headache.