PrepU Questions for Pharmacology

The nurse, working on the maternity unit, receives a call from a pregnant woman asking how she can know whether a medication is safe to take while pregnant. What is the nurse's best response?

"Never take medication until you receive approval from your health care provider."

While collecting a medication history, the client admits to doubling the recommended dosage of acetaminophen, saying "It's harmless or they would require a prescription." What is the nurse's best response?

"OTC drugs are serious medications and carry serious risks if not taken as directed.

It is often necessary for the health care provider to choose a drug therapy based on the costs of the drugs available. Which factors may be considered by a health care provider when prescribing a drug?

-Elderly clients may have a fixed income, so choosing a generic over a brand name drug for them may be ideal. -Teach clients not to cut drugs in half in order to save on costs.

Which are true of nonprescription drugs?

-They are referred to as over-the-counter drugs. -They have certain labeling requirements. -They should be taken only as directed on the label.

Fluoxitine is given to a client at a dosage of 500 mg every 6 hours. Assuming that the half-life of this drug is 3 hours, at what point would the drug level in the body be 62.5 mg of the original dose?

9 hours after the original dose explanation :The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one-half of the peak level it previously achieved.

A nurse who works at an outpatient mental health clinic follows numerous clients who have schizophrenia, many of whom are being treated with olanzapine (Zyprexa). Which client likely has the highest susceptibility to the adverse effects of olanzapine?

A client who has type 1 diabetes and who practices poor glycemic control

A 70-year-old patient has just started taking lorazepam 10 days ago for anxiety issues related the death of her husband. She is staying with her daughter for a couple of weeks. The patient's daughter has noticed that her mother is having difficulty walking and seems to be confused at times and calls the clinic to report this to the nurse. The nurse will inform the daughter that:

A dose adjustment should be made if these symptoms persist.

The client has been perscribed an MAO inhibitor. As the nurse teaches the client about this medication, what foods will the client be instructed to avoid?

Aged cheeses and meats, concentrated yeast extracts, sauerkraut, and fava beans

A client is prescribed an anxiolytic agent. What would be most important for the nurse to include in the teaching?

Be sure not to stop the drug abruptly

Two nursing students are giving an oral presentation on the limbic system. What should they include as actions of the limbic system?

Behavior

Which agent has no sedative, anticonvulsant, or muscle relaxant properties but does reduce the signs and symptoms of anxiety?

Buspirone

The nurse admits a client to the unit and learns the client has recently been diagnosed with chronic renal failure but has not informed the primary health care provider of this diagnosis. What is the nurse's first priority?

Call the admitting health provider immediately

A client is experiencing difficulty swallowing a large oral tablet. What action by the nurse would be most appropriate?

Check to determine whether the drug can be crushed or mixed with food

The nurse understands that an admission assessment is completed to accomplish what goal?

Collect Data

A client has a deficiency in serotonin. What diagnosis would be most likely for this client

Depression

The nurse is preparing to administer a medication from a multi-dose bottle. The label is torn and soiled but the name of the medication is still readable. What is the nurse's priority action?

Discard the entire bottle and contents and obtain a new bottle

A client is receiving haloperidol. The nurse would be especially alert for the development of which adverse effect?

Extrapyramidal

One of the phases of drug development is the post-marketing surveillance phase. Which activity is carried out during this phase?

Health care providers report adverse effects to FDA.

Which medication order by the health care provider will require the nurse to seek clarification of that order?

Heparin 5,000 u SC every day

The school nurse is conducting a screening of kindergarten students. The nurse will assess the children for what characteristics of ADHD? (Select all that apply.)

Impulsivity, hyperactive, short attention span

Access to information has become so broad over the last decade that consumers are often overwhelmed with details, facts, and choices that affect their health care. What factors have influenced how a client approaches the health care provider when it comes to prescriptions?

Internet alternative therapy media

A client has been taking citalopram for 2 weeks and has expressed a desire to discontinue it, stating, "I don't feel any better than I did before I started these pills." What should the nurse teach the client?

It might take up to two more weeks before the client feels better.

Which of the following street drugs would be classified as a hallucinogen?

LSD, angel dust, ecstasy

A client, in the manic phase of bipolar disorder, is being discharged home on an antimanic drug. What antimanic drug will best provide long-term maintenance of the client's bipolar disorder?

Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

Anticonvulsive medications are sometimes used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. What other drug is used to treat bipolar disorder?

Lithium

A 7-year-old male fell off a wood pile while playing. He has been admitted to the ICU with multiple broken bones and internal bleeding. What should the nurse know about drug therapy in this type of client?

Pharmacodynamics may be altered.

Which is an important function of serotonin?

Prevents Depression

The intensive care nurse should prioritize what assessments for a client prescribed both lorazepam and hydromorphone?

Respiratory rate and oxygen saturation

A client is diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Which neurotransmitter is most likely to be dysfunctional for this client

Serotonin

When levels of serotonin are high in the RAS, the system shuts off and what occurs?

Sleep

A client who just picked up a prescription at the pharmacy asks the nurse why the client was prescribed a medication for mental health issues when the client sought treatment for allergies. What is the nurse's best response?

Tell me the name of the prescription please

A nurse, preparing to administer a Schedule II medication, should provide what information to the client?

The drug carries a high potential for abuse.

A client has been diagnosed with depression. The provider has ordered sertraline. The client asks, "How soon will it be until I feel better?" What would be the best response by the nurse?

The medication will start to work in about 10 days, but it may take up to 4 weeks to be fully effective.

A healthy 70-year-old man has been having trouble sleeping at night. Additionally, he has been having difficulties with gastroesophageal reflux. He buys generic Benadryl to help him sleep and buys generic Tagamet for his reflux. After 7 days of taking these over-the-counter medications, he exhibits signs of confusion and disorientation. His wife calls the primary care facility to speak with the nurse. What should the nurse suspect first?

The older adult is experiencing mental changes as an adverse drug effect.

Tricyclic antidepressants reduce the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine.

True

As part of a comprehensive neurologic assessment, the nurse is assessing the function of a client's cranial nerves. What assessments should the nurse perform? (Select all that apply.)

Vision acuity, Swallowing ability, Tongue movement, Hearing ability

The nurse is providing care for a client who has been prescribed a diuretic to treat hypertension. The client states that the effects of the drug are problematic, causing the client to wake up numerous times during the night to urinate. What assessment question should the nurse prioritize?

When are you taking your medications

A 34-year-old executive for an insurance company has been taking lorazepam for the last 6 months for anxiety. The client abruptly stopped the medication. The client then calls the health care provider and reports feeling irritable, and increased heart rate, and restlessness. What would explain the client's current symptoms?

Withdrawal from stopping the medication

What represents a pharmacokinetic phase?

absorption distribution metabolism excretion

The nurse is leading an educational service about alternative therapies and explains that there are several issues of concern when clients self-treat with an alternative therapy What topics should the nurse address?

active ingredients may not have been tested inactive, or incidental, ingredients are often unknown the quantity of active ingredient found in products varies widely

The nurse is educating a client on over-the-counter (OTC) medications. What information is required to be placed on the label of the medication?

adverse reactions dosage of the medication contraindications to the medication

A nurse taking a client's blood pressure prior to administering a drug could be considered what type of action?

assessment and objective data

The nurse is researching the benefits and risks associated with the herbal supplement ginseng. In which client would this supplement be contraindicated?

client who is taking antidepressants client who is on hormonal contraceptives client who has diabetes client who is pregnant

The nurse is caring for a group of clients and is aware that which client may require a reduction in medication dosage? (Select all that apply.)

client with cirrhosis of the liver client with chronic hepatitis C client with cancer of the liver

A client with a severe depression has been hospitalized, and the health care provider has ordered amitriptyline. What common adverse effect might this client have?

dry mouth

Which data would be helpful in determining the accuracy of information found on the Internet?

navigation contributors dates reliability

The limbic system contains which neurotransmitters?

norepinephrine, epinephrine, and serotonin

A 12-year-old client who has been taking sertraline for the past 2 weeks has returned to the clinic to be seen. It will be critical for the nurse to assess for which?

onset of suicidal ideation

Which factor accounts for the increased risk for drug reactions among clients aged 65 years and older?

physiologic changes affecting all pharmacokinetic processes

When determining the half-life of a drug, what must be taken into account?

rate of absorption distribution to the tissues excretion rate

A 28-year-old patient is to receive a dose of lorazepam intravenously for sedation during a procedure. The nursing priority would be to assess for:

respiratory disturbances and partial airway obstruction

A nurse is preparing to give a client's scheduled medication and is reviewing the rights of medication administration. What will be included in these rights? Select all that apply.

right drug right route right client right time

The normal function of which neurotransmitter is most likely impaired when a client expresses feelings of gloom and the inability to perform activities of daily living?

serotonin

What information does a drug label contain?

special drug warnings brand name of the drug expiration date of the medication generic name of the drug

When describing the characteristics of the client who comes into the health care system today, which would most likely apply?

the use of a complex array of OTC and alternative therapies