Practice Question
Mrs. Green, age 38, reports using an over the counter (OTC) nasal decongestant spray every few hours for the past 10 days to manage her sinus congestion. She tells the nurse her nasal stuffiness now feels worse than before. Which response by the nurse is most accurate?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
“You may be experiencing rebound congestion from overuse of the nasal spray.”
Rationale:
💊 Overuse of topical nasal decongestants (such as oxymetazoline or phenylephrine) for more than 3–5 days can cause rhinitis medicamentosa, also known as rebound congestion.
💊 The medication causes initial vasoconstriction, but prolonged use leads to rebound vasodilation, worsening nasal stuffiness when the drug wears off.
💊 The nurse should advise the client to gradually discontinue the spray and consider alternative treatments such as saline nasal sprays or corticosteroid sprays for chronic congestion.
💊 Patient education should include proper use of OTC drugs and avoiding dependency on short-term decongestants.
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This question is from ☑️ Custom-OTID Med Admin Cloned Assessment 1 which contains 50 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI Fundamentals of Nursing
- Answer Choices: 4