A nurse is preparing to administer enteric-coated aspirin to an older adult client who had a cerebrovascular accident and has difficulty swallowing medications. The client asks the nurse if she will crush the medication to make it easier to swallow. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

The correct answer is C: "That would release all the medication at once, rather than over time." Enteric-coated aspirin is designed to dissolve in the small intestine, not in the stomach. Crushing it would bypass this mechanism, leading to rapid release and potential for gastric irritation. Option A is incorrect because stomach ache or indigestion is not the primary concern with crushing enteric-coated aspirin. Option B is incorrect as it suggests an inappropriate method of administration. Option D is incorrect as stomach acid inactivating medication is not the primary reason not to crush enteric-coated aspirin. The correct response educates the client on the importance of the medication's controlled-release formulation.