Pharmacology Prep U Chapter 30: Adrenergic Agonists

A nurse is caring for a client who has been receiving an adrenergic medication. Which statement by the client alerts the nurse about an adverse effect of the medication and a reason to call the prescriber?

"I feel a "fluttering" feeling in my heart."

The nurse is teaching a client about safe use of adrenergic drugs. Which statement should be included in the teaching?

"Talk to your health care provider before taking any other medications."

A nurse suspects that a client is experiencing shock based on which assessments? Select all that apply.

* Cyanosis * Disorientation * Tachypnea

While educating a client on the use of midodrine (ProAmatine) the nurse should tell the client to report which changes? (Select all that apply.)

* Vision changes * Bradycardia * Difficulty urinating

A client is being treated in the intensive care unit for cardiogenic shock. The client has been prescribed an intravenous infusion of dopamine 5 mcg/kg/minute. The client weighs 220 lbs and the medication is available in a 500-ml bag containing 400 mg of dopamine. At what rate in mL/hour should the nurse administer the medication? Give your answer to one decimal place.

37.5 mL

Which patient should be advised by the nurse to avoid over-the-counter cold and allergy preparations that contain phenylephrine?

A 47-year-old female with hypertension

A patient has been prescribed midodrine. Which intervention should the nurse perform to ensure that the patient doesn't develop supine hypertension?

Administer midodrine during the day.

A nurse is monitoring the vital signs of a patient who has been administered epinephrine. Which of the readings should nurse report immediately to the primary health care provider?

Systolic blood pressure below 100 mm Hg

Which client is most likely to benefit from the administration of an adrenergic agonist?

A man who is in cardiogenic shock following a myocardial infarction

What would a nurse expect to administer if a client who is receiving isoproterenol develops a severe reaction?

Beta-adrenergic blockers

The nurse knows that which class of drugs prevents epinephrine and norepinephrine from occupying receptor sites on the cell membranes?

Beta-adrenergic blocking drugs

A 21-year-old man experienced massive trauma and blood loss during a motorcycle accident and has been started on a dopamine infusion upon his arrival at the hospital. In light of this drug treatment, what assessment should the care team prioritize?

Cardiac monitoring

A nurse is caring for an elderly patient who is to be administered isoproterenol. Which change monitored in the patient should the nurse report immediately to the primary health care provider?

Changes is pulse rate

A nurse is caring for a 25-year-old client who is being given an adrenergic drug for shock. Which action should the nurse do?

Continually assess the client for physiological changes and notify the primary care provider with changes.

After reviewing the topic of catecholamines, a group of students demonstrates the need for additional study when they identify which as a synthetic catecholamine?

Dopamine

Which would the nurse identify as a naturally occurring catecholamine?

Dopamine

Which herbs has been removed from most weight-loss medications due to potential legal liability?

Ephedra

An instructor is preparing a teaching plan for a group of students about adrenergic agonists. Which would the nurse include as an alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonist?

Epinephrine

Which would the nurse expect to be given to a client experiencing acute bronchospasm?

Epinephrine

The client is given epinephrine for an exacerbation of asthma. What response to the medication would the nurse expect?

Increased ease of breathing and increased heart rate

A client is administered epinephrine in conjunction with a local anesthetic. What effect will epinephrine produce?

Increased vasoconstrictive effects

The nurse would contact the health care provider before administering an adrenergic drug to a client who is also taking which drug?

MAO inhibitor

A client is taking an OTC allergy product. The nurse would expect to find that this product most likely contains:

Phenylephrine

Which agent would the nurse expect to find when reviewing over-the-counter allergy products?

Phenylephrine

The adrenergic branch of the autonomic nervous system is also known by which name?

Sympathetic nervous system

Phentolamine is the agent used to treat extravasation of dobutamine.

True

Patients who are receiving alpha-specific adrenergic agents should not stop taking the drug abruptly.

True`

A nurse is preparing to administer an adrenergic agent for shock. Which nursing assessment should be completed quickly and accurately?

Vital signs

A client has an IV of dopamine administered in the right arm. The IV becomes dislodged from the vein and dopamine has been being given in the surrounding tissue instead of the vein. The nurse should stop the IV and:

administer phentolamine (an alpha adrenergic blocking drug) to the site to minimize necrosis.

A priority nursing assessment for a client who is to receive an alpha- or beta-adrenergic agonist would be to which action?

assess heart rate.

Epinephrine causes relaxation of:

bronchioles

A patient has been administered dobutamine HCL. Which adverse reactions should the nurse monitor for in the patient?

cardiac arrhythmias

Adrenergic drugs increase the potential risk for what adverse effect?

cardiac dysrrhythmias

Which medication will most likely be administered to a client experiencing anaphylaxis?

epinephrine

The nurse is admitting a client with injuries following a bicycle crash. When reviewing the client's pre-admission medication regimen, the nurse reads that the client takes formoterol twice daily. When planning this client's care, the nurse should include:

frequent respiratory assessments

A nurse in the intensive care unit is caring for a client in shock and has started IV administration of dopamine (Intropin). For a client in shock, dopamine helps to:

increase blood pressure

Adrenergic drugs produce which effect?

increased heart rate

An adrenergic drug would be prescribed to produce what physiological effect?

increased heart rate

The stimulation of beta1 adrenergic receptors in the heart by epinephrine would cause what result?

increased heart rate

Which is an effect of epinephrine?

increased heart rate

Adrenergic drugs mimic the effects of stimulating what part of the nervous system?

sympathetic

Another name for adrenergic drugs is:

sympathomimetic drugs

Drugs that produce activity similar to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine are known as which of the following?

sympathomimetics

What represents the two types of receptors that are found in the adrenergic nervous system? Select all that apply.

• Alpha receptors • Beta receptors

Contraindications to adrenergic drugs include what conditions? (Select all that apply.)

• Cardiac dysrhythmias • Hyperthyroidism • Hypersensitivity to sulfites

A nurse may be asked to administer adrenergic drugs to clients with which conditions? (Select all that apply.)

• Hypovolemic shock • Respiratory distress • Allergic reactions • Cardiac arrest