Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 77%
Simulated
A nurse is assessing a client who is taking phenelzine and reports eating aged cheese. Which of the following is a manifestation of an interaction between the medication and the food?
Correct answer
C
Rationale
The correct answer is C: Hypertension. Phenelzine is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) that can interact with tyramine in aged cheese, leading to hypertensive crisis. Tyramine can displace norepinephrine, causing a sudden increase in blood pressure. Diarrhea (A) and somnolence (B) are not commonly associated with this interaction. Bradycardia (D) is more commonly associated with other medications like beta-blockers.