A patient on statin therapy develops signs of liver injury, which action should the nurse take?

• A. Continue therapy and monitor liver enzymes
• B. Increase the statin dose
• C. Hold statin therapy and notify the provider
• D. Treat with acetaminophen and continue the statin

Answer: (C)

Statins can cause hepatotoxicity, so the priority is to stop the drug and alert the clinician as soon as signs of liver injury appear. When a patient on a statin develops symptoms like fatigue, right upper quadrant pain, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, dark urine, or pale stools, these may reflect elevated liver enzymes and potential liver injury. The nurse should hold the statin immediately to prevent further liver damage and notify the provider to order liver function tests and determine the next steps. The provider may discontinue the statin permanently, switch to another statin, or restart at a lower dose after recovery, depending on the assessment. Continuing the medication or increasing the dose would risk worsening injury. Treating with acetaminophen while continuing the statin is not appropriate, since acetaminophen itself can be hepatotoxic and does not address the injury. Safety first: stop the drug, assess, and report so liver function can be evaluated and managed.