Chapter 5 NCLEX-Style Review Questions
What factors contribute to the decrease in absorption that accompanies aging?
1. decreased gastric emptying 2. decreased blood flow in the GI tract 3. decreased surface area of the GI tract
To reduce an older adult's risk of experiencing adverse drug effects or interactions, what action should the nurse prioritize?
Assess the client's use of herbal remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
A 78-year-old client intends to supplement a prescribed anti-inflammatory with a herbal remedy that a neighbor strongly recommended. What action should the nurse encourage the client to take before initiating that plan?
Checking with the care provider before taking the supplement.
How can the nurse work best with the care team to prevent polypharmacy-related issues for older adult clients prescribed multiple medications?
Ensure that each of the client's medications is genuinely necessary and discontinue those that are not.
The client's admission blood work indicates a low creatinine clearance rate (CrCl). This factor may have what implication for the older client's antibiotic-related pharmacotherapy?
The client may require lower-than-normal dosages of a drug.
The ability of older adults to adequately distribute drugs that are ingested is highly dependent on serum drug levels of what factor?
albumin
What phenomenon is primarily responsible for the changes in pharmacokinetics that accompany the aging process?
decreased function of vital organs
When conducting health promotion education with older adults, what intervention should the nurse encourage to help reduce their risks of altered drug responses?
frequent physical activity
Ethnicity is a variable that is known to affect what aspect of pharmacokinetics in older adults?
metabolism
An older adult client has presented with signs and symptoms that are suggestive of a urinary tract infection. Due to the risk of nephrotoxicity among older clients, the nurse practitioner should avoid prescribing which drug?
nitrofurantoin
An older adult client prescribed a diuretic has had two falls in a period of a week. The care provider's willingness to consider discontinuation of the medication demonstrates a consideration of what safety-related action?
risk-to-benefit ratio
The nurse should caution an older adult client against using diphenhydramine hydrochloride due to what increased risk?
urinary retention or confusion
