Question about holding Aldactone / Lasix

[seani1]

hi:

Say a pt's Na was 134 and his K was 3.4... and they have lasix, aldactone, or both ordered.

Would you hold lasix, or hold the aldactone? or hold both?

Thanks!

[athena55, BSN, RN]

Hi Seani1:

Depends on why they were prescribed the Lasix and Aldactone...

Also depends upon their hemodynamic status. As the RN I would need to know that stuff before making that kind of decision (and, of course, informing the physician of my decision and getting her/his feedback)

athena

[seani1]

thanks for the reply!

so ur action would be.. to hold the medication and ask the doctor before proceeding?

my thinking is.. the K is low.. so lasix would lower that more. the Na is low, and the aldactone would lower that more.

[athena55, BSN, RN]

thanks for the reply!

so ur action would be.. to hold the medication and ask the doctor before proceeding?

my thinking is.. the K is low.. so lasix would lower that more. the Na is low, and the aldactone would lower that more.

Hi:

Well, my action would be, if I didn't know anything about the patient, read up on the patient's plan of care, Dx, and exactly why they were receiving those two meds...Then I would be able to make an appropriate nursing decision as to hold or administer....and, as always, discuss with the MD about why I came to my decision (if I decided to hold the Lasix and the Aldactone, or just administer the Aldactone...)

Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic, as you know and is often given with Lasix, so again depending upon why patient was prescribed those two might enable me to make a better decision.

I guess I am saying I don't know what I would do. I would need to go over patients chart and call the doc up and discuss my concerns then.

[seani1]

thx! sorry. i might have been trying to get a catchall response when one may not exist. thanks. so, circumstantial is the message i get from this.