Pharm: Chap 47 PrepU

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 patient?

"It's a good idea to keep your intake of saturated fat to a bare minimum."

A patient is receiving atorvastatin. The nurse would anticipate that the maximum effectiveness of the drug would occur within which time frame?

1 to 2 hours

The patient has been prescribed lovastatin to treat mixed lipidemia. In addition to monitoring cholesterol levels, what other laboratory test value needs to be monitored on a routine basis during therapy?

AST and ALT

A nurse who provides care in a busy clinic is aware of the high incidence and prevalence of hyperlipidemia and the consequent need for antihyperlipidemics in many patients. Treatment of high cholesterol using statins would be contraindicated in which of the following patients?

An obese male client who is a heavy alcohol user and who has cirrhosis of the liver

The clinic nurse has been assigned to a 43-year-old man who is obese and loves to eat. He has been diagnosed with hyperlipidemia and has been prescribed lovastatin. Which of the following dietary instructions would be a priority for the nurse to discuss with the patient?

Avoid drinking grapefruit juice and decrease intake of fatty acids

A client with atrial fibrillation who is receiving oral anticoagulant therapy is receiving atorvastatin. The nurse would monitor this client for which of the following?

Bleeding

When describing the action of atorvastatin, which of the following would the nurse include?

Blocking the enzyme that is involved in cholesterol synthesis

A nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving lovastatin. Which of the following assessments 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

A patient is taking atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) to reduce serum cholesterol. Which of the following aspects of patient teaching is most important?

Call his physician if he develops muscle pain

A patient who has been taking lovastatin (Mevacor) 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 (Questran)

A male client presents to the physician's office for his annual visit. He takes statins to control his hyperlipidemia. When the physician reviews the client's laboratory results and notes that there is an unexplained elevation in the serum aspartate, what would the nurse expect the physician to do?

Discontinue the statin

The nurse instructs a client to take the prescribed pravastatin at bedtime based on the understanding about which of the following?

Greater drug effectiveness is achieved at this time.

The pharmacology instructor is discussing medications used in the treatment of dyslipidemia. Which of the following drug classes would the instructor identify as the most widely used dyslipidemia drugs?

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

Which drug will be most effective in reducing the major types of dyslipidemia?

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

The most common adverse effects of lovastatin include which of the following?

Headache and flatulence

A nurse is caring for a male patient who has a diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). His drug therapy includes lovastatin. Because the patient has a history of severe renal disease, the nurse will assess for which of the following?

Increase in plasma concentration of lovastatin

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 does which of the following?

Inhibits the production of cholesterol

A client diagnosed with hyperlipidemia is prescribed a statin. The nurse is reviewing the client's history and would notify the client's health care provider if which of the following conditions were noted in the client's history?

Liver disease

The nurse is performing patient education for a woman who will soon begin treatment of hyperlipidemia with simvastatin (Zocor). The patient has asked the nurse if there are any "bad side effects" that she should be aware of. Which of the following statements should underlie the nurse's response?

Most patients tolerate statins well, with minor muscle aches being among the most common adverse effects.

A patient is taking lovastatin (Mevacor). Which of the following is noted as the most common adverse effects?

Nausea, flatulence, and constipation

When administering a lipid-lowering agent, the nurse would anticipate administering the drug by which route?

Oral

An 8-year-old male client requires treatment for dyslipidemia. What would the nurse

Pravastatin

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are in which pregnancy category? (Choose one)

Pregnancy Category X

What is the most serious side effect of lovastatin?

Rhabdomyolysis

The nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient who has been admitted to the hospital after a myocardial infarction. The patient begins lovastatin to lower his LDL levels and increase his HDL levels. Based on the adverse reaction of this medication, what would be the most appropriate nursing diagnosis?

Risk for injury to skeletal muscles related to adverse effects of drug therapy

Your patient, a 37-year-old woman with moderately elevated lipid levels, requests immediate pharmacotherapy for her dyslipidemia. You explain that a period of intensive diet therapy and lifestyle modification will be utilized before drug therapy is considered. You explain the rationale for this regimen as:

Therapeutic lifestyle changes are the preferred method for lowering blood lipids.

How should the nurse instruct the client to take his lovastatin?

With food

A 62-year-old man has been prescribed extended-release lovastatin. The nurse will instruct the patient to take the medication

at bedtime.

A patient has been prescribed lovastatin for a high cholesterol level. 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 because it

inhibits cholesterol syntheses.

Which of the following might a client complain of during treatment with an atorvastatin (Lipitor)? Select all that apply:

• Insomnia • Headache • Constipation

Statin drugs help lower cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides by which of the following mechanisms? Select all that apply:

• Promoting the breakdown of cholesterol. • Inhibiting the manufacturing of cholesterol.

Which of the following are examples of modifiable risk factors for hyperlipidemia? (Select all that apply)

• Weight • Diet