Pharmacology Principles

What is the rationale for administering a loading dose of a medication?

It more rapidly builds plasma levels to achieve an effective concentration.

The nurse is advising the patient about the proper use of herbal therapy and dietary supplements. What is the responsibility of the nurse in regards to recommending herbal products?

Keep up to date on the latest medical information on dietary supplements, including herbal products.

When considering pharmacodynamic principles, the nurse is aware that affinity or binding to a receptor is most closely associated with a drug's:

potency

Teratogenic drugs should be avoided in which patient population?

pregnant women

The nurse notices that one of the patient's drugs has a low therapeutic index and understands this to mean that the drug has:

A narrow margin of safety

A patient is to begin taking an oral antibiotic and has been instructed to avoid taking the medication with foods, beverages, or drugs that contain calcium or iron. What stage of the pharmacokinetic processes is behind the rationale for this instruction?

Absorption

A nurse who works with older adults recognizes that there are certain pharmacokinetic changes that occur with aging. Which of the following factors should the nurse take into account when administering medications?

As a result of age-related changes, older adults face an increased risk of adverse medication effects.

Protein binding is an important aspect of pharmacokinetics. Protein binding ultimately has which of the following effects on drug action?

Decreases the drug's speed of action.

Drugs are chemicals that alter basic processes in body cells. That means that:

Drugs can stimulate or inhibit normal cellular functions; they cannot add functions.

A patient is discussing his desire to use herbal products instead of medications and states, "They work; the government has tested them." The best response by the nurse is:

In the U.S., herbal products are classified as supplements and do not undergo mandatory testing.

What term is used to describe the physiological process of absorption, distribution, and elimination of a drug in the body?

Pharmacokinetics

A nurse notes new drug orders for a patient who is already getting several medications. Which of the following is the most important consideration when preparing to administer the new drugs?

Possible drug-drug interactions that might occur.

A patient has developed a tolerance to the drug. The nurse interprets this to mean which of the following?

The patient needs larger doses to achieve the same effect.

A nurse is aware that dose scheduling takes serum half life into account. What is the serum half life of a medication?

The time needed for the serum level to decrease by 50%

Your patient has peripheral vascular disease and has had part of his stomach and small intestines surgically removed. Which pharmacokinetic processes may be affected by his history?

absorption and distribution

When a patient's immune system reacts to a drug, it is known as what type of reaction?

allergic

A nurse caring for a patient with renal failure would expect the duration of action of medications to:

increase

A patient in critical condition requires a med with a rapid drug action and response. What route of administration is most likely appropriate?

intravenous

A patient requires a high dose of his new antihypertensive medication because it has a significant first pass effect. This means that the drug:

is extensively metabolized by the patient's liver.

Pediatric doses are generally based on:

the child's weight