RN Nursing · High-Risk Pregnancy — Preterm Labor · Practice question
A nurse is teaching a client who is in preterm labor about terbutaline. Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?
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"I will get injections of the medication once daily until my labor stops."
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"My blood sugar may be low while I'm on this medication."
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✓
"I will have blood tests because my potassium might decrease."
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"My blood pressure may increase while I'm on this medication.
Answer & explanation
Correct: "I will have blood tests because my potassium might decrease."
Terbutaline is a beta-2 adrenergic agonist used as a tocolytic to suppress uterine contractions in preterm labor. Beta-adrenergic stimulation drives potassium intracellularly, causing hypokalemia, so periodic potassium monitoring is indicated. Terbutaline is given subcutaneously every 15 minutes to 4 hours (not once daily) and is limited to short-term use (≤48–72 hours) due to FDA warnings about maternal cardiac effects. It causes hyperglycemia, not hypoglycemia, because beta-2 stimulation increases glycogenolysis. It also causes hypotension and maternal/fetal tachycardia — not hypertension (FDA Black Box Warning, 2011).
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