Question

An 80 year old client is on a diuretic for hypertension and uses an OTC laxative for constipation. The client states having a poor appetite, but is maintaining an appropriate weight for her height. The client may be at risk for:

Answer 1

Answer:

Possible dehydration

Explanation:

Diuretics increase urine output, in this case as a method to decrease blood volume to then decrease BP. Some laxatives work by encouraging the body to pull more water into the stool to make it easier to pass. If the client is already losing water because of a diruetic, and then may increase fliud loss due to use of the laxative, that could lead to dehydration.