A teaching plan for a patient taking lithium should include instructions to:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Lithium is a mood stabilizer that can cause dehydration and increase the risk of toxicity.
Step 2: Maintaining normal salt and fluids helps prevent dehydration and maintains lithium levels.
Step 3: Drinking excessive fluids (B) can lead to lithium toxicity.
Step 4: Regular liver function tests (C) are not necessary for monitoring lithium therapy.
Step 5: Avoiding aged cheese (D) is unrelated to lithium therapy.
Summary: Choice A is correct as it directly addresses the need to maintain hydration and normal salt levels to prevent lithium toxicity. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as they are either unnecessary or unrelated to lithium therapy.
Nokea