A client has been diagnosed with early osteoarthritis (OA) in the hips. The nurse explains that the first medical treatment that will be tried is administration of
A) acetaminophen (Tylenol).
B) celecoxib (Celebrex).
C) misoprostol (Citotec).
D) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

NSAIDs used to be the mainstay of treatment, but because OA has minimal inflammatory properties and because of the safety concerns with long-term use of NSAIDs, acetaminophen is now considered the first-line choice. The client can be switched to an NSAID when pain is severe despite the maximum dose of acetaminophen. Celecoxib is a COX-2 selective NSAID that has fewer GI side effects than other NSAIDs but has serious safety concerns as well. Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin that clients may take to minimize GI side effects of medications.

A Client Has Been Diagnosed with Early Osteoarthritis (OA) in the Hips