Before administering digoxin, which vital sign must be checked to ensure safety?

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Multiple Choice

Before administering digoxin, which vital sign must be checked to ensure safety?

Explanation:
Assessing the heart rate before giving digoxin is essential because this drug slows conduction through the AV node and can cause bradycardia. With its narrow therapeutic window, a heart rate that’s too low increases the risk of dangerous rhythm changes. Therefore, you should check the apical pulse for a full minute, and if the adult heart rate is below 60 beats per minute, hold the dose and notify the prescriber. Other vitals matter for overall patient monitoring, but the heart rate is the key safety indicator for digoxin administration.

Assessing the heart rate before giving digoxin is essential because this drug slows conduction through the AV node and can cause bradycardia. With its narrow therapeutic window, a heart rate that’s too low increases the risk of dangerous rhythm changes. Therefore, you should check the apical pulse for a full minute, and if the adult heart rate is below 60 beats per minute, hold the dose and notify the prescriber. Other vitals matter for overall patient monitoring, but the heart rate is the key safety indicator for digoxin administration.

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