What is the most important assessment for a nurse to conduct before administering ketoconazole?

Before administering ketoconazole, the most important assessment for a nurse to conduct is the review of liver enzyme levels. Ketoconazole is an antifungal medication that is primarily metabolized by the liver. This means that liver function plays a critical role in how the drug is processed and cleared from the body. Abnormal liver enzyme levels can indicate liver impairment, which may increase the risk of toxicity from the drug, as a compromised liver may not effectively metabolize ketoconazole.

Monitoring liver function is essential because ketoconazole can also cause hepatotoxicity, which means that it can potentially damage the liver. Routine assessment of liver enzymes helps ensure that the patient can safely tolerate the medication and that they do not have any underlying liver conditions that might contraindicate its use. Understanding the patient's liver health enables the nurse to make informed decisions about dosage adjustments or the need for alternative treatments.

Other assessments, such as kidney function, blood pressure, and electrolyte levels, while important in their own right, are not as directly relevant to the administration of ketoconazole as the assessment of liver enzyme levels.