Digoxin Toxicity causes the perception of which light color?

Appeared in: NIMHANS Nursing Officer - 2021

Explanation

Digoxin toxicity classically causes a visual disturbance known as xanthopsia, where objects appear to have a yellow tint.
This symptom can also manifest as seeing yellow-green halos around lights or other objects.
Visual changes are a hallmark central nervous system sign of toxicity and require immediate reporting and assessment by the nurse.

Option A: While some patients may report seeing greenish-yellow halos, a perception of pure green is not the classic or primary color disturbance associated with digoxin toxicity.
Option B: Red-colored vision (erythropsia) is not a symptom of digoxin toxicity.
Option C: Pink or rosy-colored vision is not a characteristic symptom of digoxin toxicity.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Side effects and toxicity of Digoxin as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must educate patients taking digoxin to immediately report any visual changes, as this is a key early indicator of toxicity that can precede life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
Monitoring serum potassium levels is a critical nursing responsibility for patients on digoxin. Hypokalemia (low potassium) significantly increases the risk of digoxin toxicity, even when the drug level is within the therapeutic range.
What if? - If a patient on digoxin is started on a thiazide or loop diuretic (e.g., furosemide), the nurse's priority assessment for toxicity risk must be heightened. These diuretics cause potassium loss, which potentiates the toxic effects of digoxin.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is a specific side effect of a common cardiovascular medication (Digoxin).
This is primarily a factual recall question. Access your knowledge base regarding the classic, textbook signs of digoxin toxicity.
Focus on the most well-known and frequently tested symptoms. Digoxin is famous in pharmacology for causing specific visual disturbances.
Evaluate the options provided. 'Yellow vision' or xanthopsia is the hallmark visual side effect taught in nursing and medical schools.
Compare this classic sign to the other options. Green, red, and pink are not the primary colors associated with digoxin's effect on the retina.
Select the option that aligns with this established pharmacological fact.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q-2hJhL4kLKDvkQB6zQw5X

E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 2 p. 73-75

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 758-760

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.