HESI RN Medical Surgical Practice Exam Related

Review HESI RN Medical Surgical Practice Exam related questions and content

A female patient who is allergic to penicillin will begin taking an antibiotic to treat a lower respiratory tract infection. The patient tells the nurse that she almost always develops a vaginal yeast infection when she takes antibiotics and that she will take fluconazole (Diflucan) with the antibiotic being prescribed. Which macrolide should the nurse question for this patient?

  • A. Azithromycin (Zithromax)
  • B. Clarithromycin (Biaxin)
  • C. Erythromycin (E-Mycin)
  • D. Fidaxomicin (Dificid)
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The nurse should question the prescription of erythromycin for this patient. When erythromycin is given concurrently with fluconazole, erythromycin blood concentration and the risk of sudden cardiac death increase. Therefore, it is not recommended to use erythromycin in combination with fluconazole for this patient. Azithromycin, clarithromycin, and fidaxomicin are alternative macrolide antibiotics that can be considered for this patient without the same risk of interactions when used with fluconazole.