Pharm Ch 47
A nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving lovastatin. Which assessment by the nurse would indicate that there is possible damage to the patient's skeletal muscle as a result of the drug therapy?
Brownish colored urine
Which drug is most effective in reducing most major types of dyslipidemia in patients at risk or who have already developed CAD?
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
After teaching a client about prescribed statin therapy, the nurse determines that additional teaching is needed when the client makes which statement?
"I can take the drug with grapefruit juice."
A client who is receiving cholestyramine also takes digoxin. The nurse teaches the client about the drug and administration. The client demonstrates understanding of the teaching when stating:
"I will take the digoxin about an hour before the cholestyramine."
A 58-year-old man has recently been prescribed atorvastatin (Lipitor) in an effort to reduce his cholesterol levels. The man has acknowledged the potentially harmful effects of hyperlipidemia and is motivated to make changes to resolve this health problem. What advice should the nurse give to this client?
"It's a good idea to keep your intake of saturated fat to a bare minimum."
A 39-year-old nulliparous woman has been taking atorvastatin for 2 years and has now decided that she would like to become pregnant. What health education should the nurse provide to this client?
"It's important that you stop taking atorvastatin before you stop using contraception."
A client who is receiving colestipol is also taking a thiazide diuretic. Which instruction would be most appropriate for the nurse to give?
"Take the thiazide diuretic about 1 hour before the colestipol."
The nurse is providing education to an older adult client who has been prescribed atorvastatin. How should the nurse describe the common adverse effects of the drug?
"The most common side effects of atorvastatin include some mild gastrointestinal upset."
The client wants information about triglycerides and cholesterol. Which response by the nurse would be correct?
"Triglycerides and cholesterol are fatlike substances found in your blood." Explanation: Triglycerides and cholesterol are lipids that are found in blood. Cholesterol is produced mostly by the liver.
A client diagnosed with metabolic syndrome is encouraged to implement nonpharmacologic measures to improve existing risk factors. What actions demonstrate an understanding of appropriate measures? Select all that apply.
Adhering to a low-fat diet Walking for 30 minutes several times a week Eating a high-fiber diet Avoiding tobacco products Maintaining a healthy weight
A nurse is aware of the high incidence and prevalence of hyperlipidemia and the consequent need for antihyperlipidemics. Treatment of high cholesterol using statins would be contraindicated in which client?
An obese male client who is a heavy alcohol user and who has cirrhosis of the liver
A patient with hyperlipidemia is prescribed ezetimibe. Which ongoing assessment should the nurse perform during treatment?
Frequently monitor blood cholesterol.
An older adult client is being treated in the hospital for a stroke and is undergoing an extended stay on a rehabilitation unit. The client's spouse has been participating actively in the client's care and performs much of the feeding and hygiene needs. This evening, the client's spouse has brought in a number of healthy snacks to keep at the client's bedside. Knowing that the client's medication regimen includes simvastatin, the nurse would remove which item?
Grapefruit juice
The nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of drug therapy in a client with hyperlipidemia. Effective therapy is best demonstrated by which laboratory values?
HDL 58 LDL 96 Cholesterol 178 Explanation: Normal HDL should be greater than 40 mg/dl, LDL should be less than 100 mg/dl, and total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl.
The client is diagnosed with hyperlipidemia and prescribed lovastatin. Which is the most common adverse effects of lovastatin?
Headache and flatulence
A nurse is providing care to a client who has elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). A review of the client's history reveals a sedentary lifestyle and a history of being overweight. The nurse understands that this combination of factors places the client at risk for which condition?
Heart disease
Which lipid level would the nurse interpret as being high?
LDL cholesterol of 190 mg/dL
The health care provider prescribes fibrate for a client with elevated triglycerides. The client begins to self-administer niacin approximately 3 mg daily. What would the nurse expect the provider to order?
LFTs
What should the nurse suggest to assist a client to improve his cholesterol levels?
Smoking cessation
Which single class drug is known to be most effective in reducing the major types of dyslipidemia?
Statins
A client has been diagnosed with moderately increased LDL, and the primary care provider wishes to start statin therapy. What is a potential disadvantage of statins that the health care provider should consider? Select all that apply.
Statins are expensive. Statins require regularly scheduled blood work.
A client with moderately elevated lipid levels requests immediate pharmacotherapy for dyslipidemia. The nurse explains that a period of intensive diet therapy and lifestyle modification will be utilized before drug therapy is considered based on what rationale?
Therapeutic lifestyle changes are the preferred method for lowering blood lipids.
During ongoing assessment of a client receiving an antihyperlipidemic drug, what should the nurse collect? (Select all that apply.)
Vital signs Assessment of bowel function
A 62-year-old man has been prescribed extended-release lovastatin. The nurse will instruct the patient to take the medication:
at bedtime
A nurse would caution a client receiving cholestyramine to avoid mixing the drug with:
carbonated beverages.
Which category of blood lipids is involved in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques?
cholesterol
A client who has been taking a statin has seen an improvement in his cholesterol laboratory values; however, the low-density lipoprotein remains elevated. What medication will be added to the medical regime?
cholestyramine
Which would be classified as a bile acid sequestrant?
cholestyramine
A client has had cholestyramine added to his or her treatment plan for dyslipidemia. What effect will cholestyramine have on the pharmacokinetics of the thiazide diuretic that the client is currently prescribed?
decreased absorption
Elevated blood lipids are a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and vascular disorders. From where are blood lipids derived?
diet
After teaching a group of students about fats and biotransformation, the instructor determines that the teaching was successful when the students identify what as the storage location of bile acids?
gallbladder
The three major classes of drugs used to control blood lipids are statins, bile acid resins (or sequestrants), and fibrates. Which is a fibrate?
gemfibrozil
A 54-year-old client has a cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL (6.2064 mmol/L). What serum concentration of cholesterol would this client have?
high
A client has been prescribed lovastatin for high cholesterol. The nurse's teaching plan will include a basic explanation of how the drug produces its therapeutic effect. The nurse will explain that lovastatin lowers cholesterol levels in which manner?
inhibits cholesterol syntheses.
A client's serum cholesterol is 286 mg/dL. Lovastatin (Mevacor) is prescribed. The nurse plans care based on the fact that the action of lovastatin:
inhibits the production of cholesterol.
A client will begin taking atorvastatin, and the nurse is conducting relevant health education. The nurse should emphasize the need to report any new onset of:
muscle pain
The nurse is providing education to a client who has been prescribed atorvastatin. In what way will the nurse describe how the drug achieves its desired therapeutic effect?
reduces the amount of cholesterol synthesized by the liver
A client has been largely unsuccessful in achieving adequate control of dyslipidemia through lifestyle changes and the use of a statin. As a result, the client has been prescribed cholestyramine. What change in this client's lipid profile will the nurse identify as the most likely goal of therapy?
reduction in LDL cholesterol levels
After teaching a group of students about drugs used to treat hyperlipidemia, the instructor determines that the teaching was successful when the students identify which of the following? Select all that apply.
• HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors • Fibric acid derivatives • Bile acid resins
To effectively prevent or manage metabolic syndrome, what should the desired blood lipid profile include? (Select all that apply.)
• Low triglycerides • High HDL cholesterol • Low LDL cholesterol
Treatments for clients with dyslipidemia are determined according to blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. What does the impact of existing cardiovascular disease have on treatment recommendations?
Decreases target serum LDL level
The nurse instructs a patient to take his prescribed simvastatin at bedtime to promote:
Enhanced drug effectiveness
What is the most serious side effect of lovastatin?
Rhabdomyolysis
The client has been taking rosuvastatin for hyperlipidemia. The client now presents with severe weakness and states barely being able to move the extremities. The nurse suspects the client has which?
Rhabdomyolysis
A nurse is caring for several clients. Which client would have the greatest chance of developing CAD as determined by total cholesterol?
a 62-year-old White client with total cholesterol of 260 mg/dl
A nurse is caring for a client receiving cholestyramine to improve his blood lipid profile at a home care setting. What adverse reactions to cholestyramine should the nurse monitor in the client?
constipation
An elderly client with dyslipidemia has had fenofibrate added to the existing medication regimen. In addition to having the lipid profile drawn on a regular basis, the nurse should educate the client about the need for what ongoing laboratory testing during therapy?
Liver panel
What should the nurse review about an antihyperlipidemic medication with the client when completing discharge counseling? (Select all that apply.)
• Reason for taking the prescribed drug • Drug name • Correct dose • Frequency of administration • Dosage form
