For a patient taking indomethacin for gout, which assessment should the nurse expect the primary health care provider to order?

For a patient taking indomethacin for gout, which assessment should the nurse expect the primary health care provider to order?

• A. Urinalysis for occult hematuria
• B. Checking occult blood
• C. CBC with differential
• D. Creatinine clearance

Answer: (B)

Indomethacin is an NSAID, and NSAIDs can irritate the stomach lining and cause ulcers, which may lead to hidden (occult) blood loss in the stool. The best assessment the provider would order is a stool occult blood test to screen for GI bleeding early. This targets the main risk of NSAID therapy for gout. Urinalysis for occult blood would look for urinary bleeding, which isn’t the primary concern here. A CBC with differential could show anemia but isn’t a direct screen for current GI bleeding, and creatinine clearance would assess kidney function, not the GI bleeding risk. So stool occult blood testing is the most appropriate choice.

Indomethacin is an NSAID, and NSAIDs can irritate the stomach lining and cause ulcers, which may lead to hidden (occult) blood loss in the stool. The best assessment the provider would order is a stool occult blood test to screen for GI bleeding early. This targets the main risk of NSAID therapy for gout. Urinalysis for occult blood would look for urinary bleeding, which isn’t the primary concern here. A CBC with differential could show anemia but isn’t a direct screen for current GI bleeding, and creatinine clearance would assess kidney function, not the GI bleeding risk. So stool occult blood testing is the most appropriate choice.