The nurse is caring for a client with bipolar disorder and has been prescribed carbamazepine.
Which laboratory test should the nurse monitor to assess for potential adverse effects of the medication?
The nurse is caring for a client with bipolar disorder and has been prescribed carbamazepine.
Which laboratory test should the nurse monitor to assess for potential adverse effects of the medication?
A. Urine analysis
[13%]
B. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
[50%]
C. Cardiac enzymes
[19%]
D. Lipid Panel
[18%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Pharmacology
Lesson
Psychiatric Medications
Client Need
Test Plan
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Related Topic
Adverse Effects/Contraindications/Side Effects/Interactions
Item Type
Item Type
Application
Explanation
Choice B is correct. Carbamazepine has been implicated in causing blood dyscrasias. These blood dyscrasias include pancytopenia (low red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). Therefore, the nurse should contact the health care provider (HCP) to obtain an order to draw a baseline complete blood count (CBC) with differential before administering carbamazepine to this client. This lab result will serve as the baseline result for this client, as this lab result includes the client's baseline leukocytes, neutrophils, and thrombocytes (among other CBC results).
Choice A is incorrect. While urinalysis is useful in detecting urinary tract issues, it is not routinely required for carbamazepine therapy unless symptoms suggest renal involvement.
Choice C is incorrect. These are primarily used to assess for myocardial infarction or cardiac injury. Carbamazepine does not typically cause cardiotoxicity requiring enzyme surveillance.
Choice D is incorrect. Although some psychotropic medications affect lipid metabolism, carbamazepine is not commonly associated with dyslipidemia, making this test less clinically relevant for monitoring this medication.
Learning Objective
Recognize that when initiating a client on carbamazepine, the client should have a complete blood count (CBC) with differential performed, as a decrease in baseline leukocytes, neutrophils, and thrombocytes from the medication is a known adverse effect of the medication.
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4 Key Topics
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6.12 Psychiatric Medications
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