The nursing process related to treatment of patients who are taking anti-
helmiths is:
- Assessment
° History of foods eaten, especially meat and fish and how it was prepared
° Note if other persons in household have been checked for worms
° Obtain baseline vital signs and collect a stool specimen - Nursing diagnoses
° Altered comfort
° Activity intolerance related to dizziness, headache, drowsiness
° Altered nutrition
° Alteration in skin integrity - Planning
° Patient will be free of helminths
° Patient/family will understand how to prepare foods to avoid recurrence - Interventions
° Collect stool specimen
° Administer the prescribed anthelmintics after meals
° Report side effects to the health care provider - Patient teaching:
° Explain importance of hand washing
° Instruct to take daily showers, NOT baths
° Instruct to change sheets, bedclothes, towels, and underwear daily
° If problem persists, a second course of therapy may be necessary
° Take prescribed drug at the designated time and keep health care
appointments
° Alert that drowsiness may occur; avoid operating a car or machinery if
drowsiness occurs
° Report side effects to health care provider - Evaluation
° Evaluate effect of the anthelmintics and absence of side effects
° Determine if patient is using proper hygiene to avoid spread of parasitic
worms
CHAPTER 13 Antimicrobials—Fighting Infection^249