RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 484 of 2368

A client who takes digoxin has an apical pulse of 54 beats/min counted for a full minute before the scheduled dose. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. Withhold the dose and notify the prescribing provider
  2. Give the dose and recheck the pulse in one hour
  3. Give half of the dose and document the pulse
  4. Give the dose with a potassium supplement
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Correct answer: Withhold the dose and notify the prescribing provider

An apical pulse below 60 means the digoxin dose is held and the provider is told.

Source: Nursing Pharmacology, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Cardiovascular & Renal Systems: Digoxin. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026