Question

The parents of a child diagnosed with attention-deficit syndrome receives a prescription for a central nervous system (cns) stimulant to treat their child. one of the parents asks the nurse, "i don't understand why we're giving a stimulant to calm our child down?" what is the nurse's best response?

Answer 1

Stimulant, has a paradoxical effect in children, producing calmness in children with hyperactive behavior. The exact mechanism of action is not clearly understood.  Stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can suppress appetite, and the child may lose or fail to gain weight properly. The client is too young to manage his medications independently. Ritalin should be given in divided doses.