The nurse is caring for a patient who has adrenal insufficiency. What medication would be most appropriate?

In the context of managing adrenal insufficiency, the most appropriate medication is fludrocortisone. This synthetic mineralocorticoid plays a crucial role in the body's regulation of electrolytes and fluid balance, particularly by promoting sodium retention and potassium excretion. Patients with adrenal insufficiency often lack not only glucocorticoids (such as cortisol) but also mineralocorticoids, which are essential for maintaining blood pressure and electrolyte homeostasis.

Fludrocortisone effectively addresses the mineralocorticoid deficiency that occurs in adrenal insufficiency, thus helping to alleviate symptoms related to low blood pressure and dehydration. Its primary action helps to restore proper functions that would otherwise be impaired due to the adrenal glands' inadequate hormone production.

The other options, while they are corticosteroids, fall into the category of glucocorticoids or have a primary indication different from the specific needs that arise in adrenal insufficiency management. Prednisolone and budesonide are glucocorticoids primarily used for their anti-inflammatory properties and are not designed to specifically replace mineralocorticoids. Beclomethasone, similarly a glucocorticoid, is typically used for respiratory conditions and does not address the mineralocortico