A 9-year-old diagnosed with leukemia is also being treated for epilepsy. The physician prescribes carbamazepine 100 mg PO twice per day. The nurse should question this order because:

Explanation

•Carbamazepine causes bone marrow suppression. In a patient with leukemia, bone marrow suppression is already a concern, and the use of carbamazepine could worsen the immunocompromised state.

•The white blood cell count needs to be monitored in any patients treated with carbamazepine.

•Carbamazepine is approved for the use in children, and this is an accurate dose.

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