What is most likely to occur? After administering bethanechol to a patient with urine retention, the nurse in charge monitors the patient for adverse effects.  

The correct answer to this question is – Nausea and vomiting. Bethanechol is a cholinergic agonist drug that stimulates muscarinic receptors. It is mostly used to treat bladder problems such as urinary retention and inability to completely empty the bladder. Bethanechol works by increasing the tone of the detrusor muscle in the bladder.

This causes a contraction in the bladder, and it is sufficient to cause urination and emptying of the bladder. Since bethanechol is a muscarinic receptor stimulator, other effects of muscarinic stimulation will occur. This includes increased gastrointestinal motility, which can cause nausea and vomiting, diarrhea. It can cause an increase in salivation. In high doses, bethanechol can also cause a decrease in cardiac contractions. Therefore, patients taking bethanechol for urine retention may manifest side effects such as nausea and vomiting.