Pharm- all content done for exam 1

An older adult client has returned for a follow-up appointment to evaluate the effects of a recently prescribed antihypertensive medication. The client enthusiastically tells the nurse, "I feel great. I'm sure my blood pressure is right where you'll want it to be." Which assessment question best demonstrates the nurse's understanding of this client's risk for nonadherence to medication therapy?

"Can you explain to me why it's important for you to take your medication just as we discussed?"

The nurse is assessing a client who is being admitted to the healthcare facility. When asked about allergies, the client states, "I'm allergic to penicillin." What is the nurse's best initial response?

"Do you remember what happened the last time you received penicillin?"

A nurse is conducting an assessment of a client who has recently had several changes made to the drug regimen. What assessment question most directly addresses the safety implications of the client's drug regimen?

"Do you take any herbal supplements or alternative medications?"

A client prescribed ramipril earlier in the week states, "Now I have a nagging, dry cough." How should the nurse best follow-up the client's statement?

"Drugs like ramipril often cause a cough in clients; we should speak to the health care provider."

A client comes to the clinic reporting vaginal discharge with itching. Which statement would alert the nurse to the possibility that the client's reports are related to a superinfection?

"I just completed a course of antibiotics prescribed by my dentist to treat a tooth abscess."

A gerontological nurse is conducting a medication assessment of a new client on a subacute medicine unit. Which of the client's statements should signal to the nurse a need for education?

"I use a lot of herbs and supplements, but I'm careful to make sure that they're all natural."

A client, prescribed amlodipine, asks how this drug works. What is the nurse's best response?

"It inhibits the influx of calcium ions across cardiac and smooth muscle, dilating the coronary arteries."

A client with primary hypertension asks the nurse why the prescriber added another medication to assist with lowering the blood pressure. What is the nurse's best response?

"Many clients require two or more drugs for high blood pressure."

A client with diabetes is also taking ephedrine to treat asthma. On occasion, the client notes that the drug causes an increase in blood glucose. What should the nurse teach the client about this phenomenon?

"Stored glycogen is broken down by ephedrine, causing hyperglycemia."

A male client who is prescribed digoxin asks the nurse how he should take the drug. Which instruction would be most appropriate?

"Take the drug on an empty stomach at the same time each day."

The nurse educates an older adult about the seven prescribed medications to prevent medication-related reactions and adverse effects. Which client statement indicates the need for further clarification?

"The dietary supplement I used to take before admission to the hospital is all right to restart."

A nurse is caring for a client who has just been prescribed a loading dose of a drug. The nurse should explain what rationale to the client for administering a loading dose?

"We want to make sure you get the benefits of the drug as quickly as possible"

The female client states that her father has had high blood pressure all of his life and he is healthy. She does not understand why the care provider has prescribed medication for her blood pressure. What is the nurse's best response?

"With high blood pressure, blood vessels may be damaged and that can cause heart and kidney disease."

A client asks the nurse about how his prescribed digoxin helps his heart. The nurse would include which response? Select all that apply.

-Increases force of contraction -Slows the conduction velocity through the atrioventricular (AV) node -Decreases heart rate

Which labs would the nurse expect to see ordered prior to administration of a cardiotonic? (Select all that apply.)

-Liver function tests -Renal function tests -Complete blood count -Electrolyte levels

African Americans are more likely to have severe hypertension and to require multiple drugs, for what reasons? (Select all that apply.)

-Low circulating renin -Increased salt sensitivity -A higher incidence of obesity.

The nurse administers penicillin to a client and monitors the client for an adverse reaction despite the fact that the client claimed not to be allergic to penicillin. What is the rationale for checking for adverse reactions? {Select all that apply.}

-Medications can react with over-the-counter medications to cause toxicity. -Medications can react with other medications prescribed for the client. -A person can be allergic to any medication at any time. -Medications can react with herbal supplements to cause adverse reactions.

How can the home care nurse assist the client or the client's family members who have hypertension? (Select all that apply.)

-Promoting compliance with the prescribed pharmacologic modifications -Promoting compliance with the prescribed lifestyle modifications -Monitoring for drug effects

A nurse is caring for a client who has been diagnosed with primary hypertension. What nursing interventions should be included in the teaching plan? Select all that apply.

-Regular aerobic exercise -Diet with more fruits and vegetables -Decreased alcohol consumption -Smoking cessation

After receiving a loading dose of milrinone , what is a client most likely to experience? (Select all that apply.)

-angina -headache

A nurse is caring for a client experiencing a hypertensive emergency. If blood pressure is not lowered immediately, what can occur? (Select all that apply.)

-damage to eyes -damage to kidneys -damage to heart

The nurse identifies the therapeutic range for digoxin as:

0.8 to 2 ng/mL.

The nurse understands that the dosage recommended by drug manufacturers is based on an individual weighing:

150 lb (68 kg).

A patient is being administered digoxin (Lanoxin) for treatment of heart failure. At what level should the serum potassium level be maintained?

3.5-5.0 mEq/L

A client is receiving 250 mg of a drug that has a half-life of 12 hours. How much drug would remain after 36 hours?

31 mg

A client is receiving 250 mg of a drug that has a half-life of 8 hours. How much drug would remain after 24 hours?

31.25 mg

A client reports seeing halos around lights. The client takes digoxin by mouth every day. The health care provider orders the client to have serum digoxin level drawn. Which of the digoxin levels indicate the client is experiencing toxicity?

4.0 ng/mL

Fluoxetine 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

A client is administered an oral contraceptive. What is the process that occurs between the time the drug enters the body and the time it enters the bloodstream?

Absorption

A nurse is educating a group of nursing students on the mechanisms of action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI). What should the nurse explain is the hormone produced by the adrenal cortex?

Aldosterone

A client is receiving carvedilol to treat hypertension. The nurse identifies this drug as a(n):

Alpha- and beta-blocker

Based on knowledge of the guidelines, which drug combination therapy has been shown to decrease mortality from CHF?

An ACE inhibitor, a beta-blocker, and a diuretic

The nurse is conducting an admission assessment of a new client. When asked about any food or drug allergies, the client states that the client is allergic to tetracycline. What action should the nurse next perform?

Ask the client, "What happens when you take a dose of tetracycline?"

A client's drug level has reached critical concentration. What action should the nurse perform?

Assess for evidence of the expected therapeutic effects.

What would the nurse include in the teaching plan for a client who is to receive a drug that is associated with anticholinergic effects?

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

A nurse is educating a patient with hypertension who is prescribed losartan on the mechanism of action of the drug. Which mode of action helps losartan to bring about its antihypertensive effect?

By blocking the angiotensin II receptors

A 46-year-old client with a high body-mass index and a sedentary lifestyle has been diagnosed with hypertension after serial blood pressure readings. The clinician has opted to begin the client on captopril (Capoten). The nurse should recognize that the therapeutic effect of this drug is achieved in what way?

By inhibiting the transformation of angiotensin I to angiotensin II

A client of African descent is being treated for hypertension. What antihypertensive agent would the nurse expect to be prescribed?

Calcium channel blocker

A 54-year-old client with CHF is admitted to the unit. The nurse knows that what physiologic changes will affect a client's stroke volume?

Changes in heart contraction

A patient is prescribed a cardiotonic medication. Which pre-administration assessment should the nurse perform on this patient?

Check for jugular vein distention.

The nurse is caring for a client who is being treated for opioid withdrawal. The nurse notes that the health care provider has ordered which medication that is also used as an antihypertensive?

Clonidine

The home care nurse sees a client for the first time. The client has crackles in the lower lobes of the lungs, an audible S3, and pitting edema in the feet and ankles. What condition is the client experiencing?

Congestive heart failure

A client is being treated for heart failure. What assessment finding would the nurse interpret as most indicative of improved health status?

Decreased pitting edema

A 71-year-old male client is being treated for hypertension. Which measurement is a partial indication of effective treatment and management?

Diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg

Which would the nurse identify as a cardiac glycoside?

Digoxin

What is given to treat a massive digoxin overdose?

Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind)

A 35-year-old female client controls the symptoms of her cardiovascular disease with ACE inhibitors. She discovers that she is pregnant and contacts her primary care provider regarding her medication regimen. What would the nurse expect the provider to do?

Discontinue the drug

A client develops a cytotoxic reaction to a drug. What would the nurse expect to do?

Discontinue the drug immediately as ordered.

A client who is being treated for cancer developed a serum sickness reaction. The care team has been notified, and the client is being stabilized. What is the nurse's priority action?

Discontinue the drug immediately as ordered.

A nurse is aware that older adults tend to have a significantly decreased rate of hepatic blood flow compared with younger adults. What effect is this likely to have on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in an older adult?

Drug clearance is likely to be slower.

An instructor is preparing a class that describes the toxic effects of drugs. Which effect would the instructor expect to include?

Drugs cause unexpected or unacceptable reactions despite screening and testing.

The nurse is teaching a female patient about newly prescribed digoxin. The patient tells the nurse that she occasionally uses herbal therapies. The nurse should caution the patient against using therapies that involve which herbs?

Ginseng

The client has crackles in the lower lobes of the lungs, an audible S3, and pitting edema in the feet and ankles. What condition is the client most likely experiencing?

Heart failure

A client is receiving a diuretic as the first-line treatment of mild hypertension. The nurse monitors the client for signs and symptoms of hypokalemia with which agent?

Hydrochlorothiazide

A client with hypertension has not responded adequately to treatment with losartan. What additional medication would the nurse expect the health care provider to prescribe?

Hydrochlorothiazide

A 48-year-old client with a blood pressure of 198/112 mm Hg reports severe headache and drowsiness. The nurse notes that the client is disoriented and has begun to vomit. What is the primary nursing goal for this client experiencing a hypertensive emergency?

Implement interventions to lower blood pressure.

The pharmacology instructor is discussing cardiac glycosides with a class of pre-nursing students. According to the instructor, what physiologic effect do cardiac glycosides trigger?

Increased force of heart contraction

A client has not responded normally to rescue inhaler therapy. When subcutaneous epinephrine is prescribed, the nurse should anticipate what reaction to occur?

Instant bronchodilation

A 79-year-old woman who takes several medications for a variety of chronic health problems has been prescribed an oral antiplatelet aggregator that is to be taken once daily. The nurse has encouraged the woman to take the pill at the same time of day that she takes some of her other medications. What is the most likely rationale for the nurse's advice?

Integrating the new drug into the client's existing schedule promotes adherence.

A nurse is preparing to administer inamrinone. The nurse would administer this drug most likely by which route?

Intravenous

Which route of administration is most likely to cause toxic effects?

Intravenous

What does the nurse need to do when there is any indication of an allergic reaction in clients?

Maintain the client's safety during drug therapy.

A client develops bone marrow suppression related to a drug's effects. What would be most important for the nurse to do?

Monitor laboratory blood values.

The nurse is preparing to administer digoxin to a 9-month-old infant. What must the nurse do prior to administration of this medication?

Monitor the infant's apical pulse

A client is receiving an antineoplastic medication for treatment of breast cancer and begins having tonic-clonic seizure activity. What type of toxicity does the nurse recognize that this client is experiencing?

Neurotoxicity

An older adult client calls the health care provider's office and tells the nurse that prescriptions for three medications have run out and the pharmacy will not refill them this close together. A home health referral is made and the client is found to be taking the medication more often than prescribed. What is a priority nursing diagnosis for this client?

Nonadherence to therapeutic medication regimen

Which would a nurse expect to assess if a client is experiencing right-sided heart failure?

Peripheral edema

A nurse is presenting a class for patients newly diagnosed with hypertension. What factor would the nurse tell the class has the greatest effect on diastolic blood pressure?

Peripheral vascular resistance

A client, newly diagnosed with hypertension is started on captopril, an ACE inhibitor. The client should be informed of the possibility of what adverse effect?

Persistent cough

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

Physiologic changes affecting all pharmacokinetic processes

A nurse is required to monitor a client for right ventricular dysfunction. Which would the nurse most commonly assess?

Pitting edema

A client with a history of heart failure is being treated with digoxin. The nurse knows that this medication increases the force of contractions of the heart. What effect improves the contractility of the heart?

Positive inotropic effect

The 68-year-old client states, "I have been taking aspirin on occasion for my arthritis for many years but notice that it takes longer for it to start working now." What is the best response by the nurse?

"As you get older, absorption is prolonged and medications may take a little longer to act than normal."

A 37-year-old client presents with a blood pressure of 128/78 mm Hg. What lifestyle change should the nurse suggest related to this assessment finding?

"Be aware of your salt intake and limit hidden salt."

A student asks the instructor what the goal of drug therapy is in hypotension and shock. What would the instructor respond?

Restore and maintain adequate tissue perfusion.

During a routine check up of a 45-year-old patient with renal disease, the nurse observes an increase in the patient's blood pressure. Which is the most likely consequence of renal impairment?

Secondary hypertension

A patient with congestive heart failure has been digitalized. The patient requires long-term digoxin therapy. Which instructions should the nurse provide the patient on discharge?

Take the drug regularly without skipping a dose.

A client with a long history of hypertension has just been prescribed an alpha1-adrenergic receptor blocker. To reduce this client's risk of orthostatic hypotension and falls, the nurse should encourage the client to implement what intervention?

Take the medication at bedtime.

A client with lymphoma is scheduled to begin chemotherapy tomorrow. When providing health education for the client regarding the risk for stomatitis, what should the nurse teach the client?

Techniques for providing safe and effective mouth care

A client is on antibiotic therapy for an axillary abscess. The client has been outside working in the yard and observes a rash everywhere that is not covered by clothing. What should the client be told about this finding?

The client is having photosensitivity and this can occur even with brief exposure to the sun or UV rays.

The nurse monitors which client for an increased risk of digoxin toxicity?

The client with renal dysfunction

A newly admitting client has signs and symptoms of an infection and the nurse anticipates that the client will be prescribed antibiotics. What assessment should the nurse prioritize when determining the client's risk for an excessive drug response due to impaired excretion?

The client's blood urea nitrogen level and creatinine clearance rate

What is the expected therapeutic outcome of the simultaneous administration of two medications?

The combined effects are greater than the effects of either one of the drugs alone.

A client has an elevated BUN. The client has been prescribed digoxin for heart failure. What aspect of care is the priority regarding this client?

The dose should be decreased in this client.

A 70-year-old man who enjoys good health began taking low-dose aspirin several months ago based on recommendations that he read in a magazine article. During the man's most recent visit to his care provider, routine blood work was ordered and the results indicated an unprecedented rise in the man's serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. How should a nurse best interpret these findings?

The man may be experiencing nephrotoxic effects of aspirin

A nurse has administered a dose of a drug that is known to be highly protein bound. What are the implications of this characteristic?

The molecules of the drug that are bound to protein are inactive and do not affect body cells.

A triage nurse in the emergency department suspects that a 78-year-old patient is experiencing severe digoxin toxicity with significant cardiac arrhythmia. If the nurse is correct, which action is likely to be taken?

The patient will be given digoxin immune fab.

An elderly client has been taking a new medication for 2 months. During a follow-up visit, the client's son tells the nurse that he feels his mother's memory is getting worse. What concerns should the nurse have at this time?

This may be coincidental, and the memory loss may be attributed to changes with aging.

An older adult client has an elevated serum creatinine level. This client is at greatest risk for which medication-related effect?

Toxicity

An experienced nurse has observed that female clients sometimes experience a drug's effects for a longer time than male clients of similar age and size. The nurse should attribute this to what factor?

Women have more fat cells so drugs depositing in fat will have a prolonged effect

The nurse is caring for a client receiving an aminoglycoside (antibiotic) that can be nephrotoxic. Which will alert the nurse that the client may be experiencing nephrotoxicity?

a decrease in urine output

A female client has a 12-year history of ETOH abuse. The client is injured in a motor vehicle accident and requires surgery with general anesthesia. What would the nurse expect for this client?

a larger-than-normal dose of the general anesthetic

A nurse is caring for a client who has had part of her small intestine removed due to cancer. She has also now developed hypertension and has been prescribed a new medication to decrease her blood pressure. While planning the client's care, the nurse should consider a possible alteration in which aspect of pharmacokinetics?

absorption

this process occurs from the time a drug enters the body to the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated

absorption

when two drugs taken together have an increased effect

additive effects

A client has been prescribed an oral drug that is known to have a high first-pass effect. Which measure has the potential to increase the amount of the free drug that is available to body cells?

administering the drug intravenously rather than orally

The nurse should have basic knowledge of drug classifications in order to administer medications safely to clients. What drug information is instrumental in determining nursing actions following drug administration?

adverse effects

any undesired response to a drug's administration

adverse effects

What does the basic nursing care of patients with shock require?

an ongoing systematic assessment

The nurse is caring for a client with a drug allergy and understands the allergy is the result of the client developing:

antibodies.

a drug that can be given to antagonize the toxic effects of another drug

antidote

Which drug classification is used to treat superinfections?

antifungals

The nurse is assessing a new client who states being allergic to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs. What subsequent assessment should the nurse prioritize?

asking the client what the client's response is to taking NSAIDs

A client has not experienced the desired therapeutic effects of a medication. When considering factors that may affect the dynamic equilibrium that influences drug concentration, the nurse should:

assess for factors that may reduce absorption.

A client is receiving digoxin and experiences severe bradycardia. Which medication would the nurse anticipate administering if prescribed?

atropine

the portion of a dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is available to act on body cells

bioavailability

How does captopril contribute to a reduction of a client's blood pressure?

blocking the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II

The nurse administers a medication to the client that induces the secondary action of hypoglycemia. What organ will be most acutely affected by inadequate circulating glucose?

brain

When caring for a group of clients, the nurse will monitor which clients for effects related to impaired drug excretion? (Select all that apply.)

client 88 years of age with a skin infection 6-week-old client with pertussis client 55 years of age with chronic renal failure

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

A client is receiving a drug to lower blood glucose level. What would lead the nurse to suspect that the client's blood glucose level was too low?

cold, clammy skin

A client develops a skin reaction to one of their prescribed medications. This client also has a specific underlying pathology. This underlying pathology might serve as a:

contraindication for the use of certain medications.

A client is receiving fosinopril. Which adverse effect would the nurse caution the client about to help to promote compliance?

cough

A nurse administers a prescribed loading dose of digoxin based on the understanding that doing so will result in:

critical concentration being reached more quickly

A 72-year-old man with pain issues is being given a drug by the intramuscular route. His serum blood level concentrations have been erratic. The nurse suspects that this may be due to

decreased blood flow to tissues and muscles.

The nurse is administering medications that are metabolized in the liver to a 68-year-old. What normal age-related changes to metabolism may alter the dose a client will be prescribed? (Select all that apply.)

decreased hepatic mass decreased hepatic blood flow

The nurse administers a medication and the client has an immediate anaphylactic reaction following injection. What symptoms assessed by the nurse would indicate anaphylaxis? (Select all that apply.)

diaphoresis difficulty breathing increased blood pressure

A nurse is planning an in-service program for a group of staff nurses about heart failure and its treatment. The nurse would identify which agent as the most commonly used drug for treatment?

digoxin

An elderly client is being admitted to the hospital for surgery. The nurse is reconciling the client's medications. The client is prescribed digoxin 0.125 mg daily, furosemide 40 mg two times a day, Lanoxin 0.125 mg daily, metoprolol XL 25 mg once a day, and pravastatin (Pravachol) 40 mg at hours of sleep daily. The nurse recognizes a problem when the nurse notes:

digoxin and Lanoxin are the same medications

A patient is admitted to the unit with problems controlling their serum glucose levels. The patient has hypertension as a co-morbidity, and the physician has ordered hydralazine for this patient. The nurse caring for this patient knows that hydralazine is a(n):

direct vasodilator.

When a second drug binds to a protein removing the first drug increasing the effects of the first drug

displacement

the transport of drug molecules within the body

distribution

What represents a pharmacokinetic phase? (Select all that apply.)

distribution excretion absorption metabolism

A 38-year-old client is obese and has abscesses around the inner thigh muscles. The client is receiving IV antibiotics, but no improvement has been seen. The client questions the nurse about the most likely cause for the drug therapy failure. The nurse explains that the:

distribution of the drug to the area of the abscesses is impaired.

A client's most recent laboratory result indicate an elevated potassium level. What drug in this client's medication regimen should the care team consider discontinuing?

diuretic

A client has been prescribed ramipril 5 mg PO daily with the scheduled dose due at 08:00. After reviewing the client's most recent blood work, the nurse should consider withholding the dose because of what laboratory finding?

elevated potassium levels

elimination of a drug from the body

excretion

When determining the half-life of a drug, what must be taken into account? (Select all that apply.)

excretion rate rate of absorption distribution to the tissues

An older adult who lives in a long-term care facility has recently begun taking losartan (Cozaar) for the treatment of hypertension. The nurse who provides care for this resident should recognize that this change in the resident's medication regimen make create a risk for:

falls

Splenomegaly occurs with left-sided heart failure.

false

when drugs are extensively metabolized in the liver, with only part of the drug dose reaching the systemic circulation for distribution to sites of action

first pass effect

A 65-year-old client presents to the health care provider's office with reports of shortness of breath on exertion, edema in the ankles, and waking up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. The nurse suspects that the symptoms are indicative of which condition?

heart failure

Drugs injected intravenously (IV) reach their full strength in which timeframe?

immediately

With buccal medications, what factor affects absorption?

integrity of the mucous membranes

when one drug affects the metabolism of the second drug causing intensified effects of the second drug

interference

What drug administration route should be used to assure the best bioavailability as any particular drug?

intravenous

Milrinone is a miscellaneous inotropic drug used in the short-term management of heart failure. What is the only way this drug is approved to be administered?

intravenously

A client newly diagnosed with heart failure questions why the therapy with digoxin will begin with four doses of digoxin rather than the usual one dose, in a 24-hour period. How would the nurse respond?

it rapidly brings your serum digoxin levels up to therapeutic levels

What plays the largest role in drug excretion?

kidneys

After teaching a group of students about the cardiovascular system and pressures, the students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which area as having the highest pressure?

left ventricle

A client develops primary hypertension and asks the nurse, "How long will I need to receive therapy?" The nurse responds based on the understanding that therapy would be required for how long?

lifelong

A group of students are reviewing the various antihypertensive agents. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify what as an example of an angiotensin II receptor blocker?

losartan

A client who is malnourished and hypertensive client is being treated with losartan. Considering the client's nutritional status, how should the dose of the medication be adjusted in this client?

lowered

A nurse is preparing to administer a prescribed drug to a client who has liver disease. The nurse expects a reduction in dosage based on the understanding that what might be altered?

metabolism

the method by which drugs are inactivated or biotransformed by the body

metabolism

drug actions on target cells and the resulting alterations (what the drug does to the body)

pharmacodynamics

the study of gene mutations that produce changes in structure and function of drug-metabolizing enzymes

pharmacogenetics

A nurse is reading an article that describes predictable differences in the effects of drugs in people of particular culture backgrounds due to their genetic makeup. The nurse is reading about:

pharmacogenomics.

drug movement through the body (what the body does to the drug)

pharmacokinetics

A nurse is required to monitor a client for right ventricular dysfunction. Which would the nurse most commonly assess?

pitting edema

A client will soon be discharged home from the hospital after a successful coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). During client education about drug regimen, the nurse should prioritize teaching about:

potential adverse effects of the drugs that the client will be taking

A client has been diagnosed with cardiovascular disorder. The client is age 68; suffers from intermittent joint pain and is under drug therapy; eats meat, salads, and fruits; prefers alternative herb medications along with drug therapy; sometimes smokes; he lives alone and is looked after by a caregiver. Which item of information has the greatest implication for planning his drug therapy?

prefers alternative herb medications

The pharmacology instructor explains to the students that adverse effects can be extensions of:

primary action of a drug.

The nurse has begun the intravenous infusion of the first dose of a client's prescribed antibiotic. A few minutes later, the client is diaphoretic, gasping for breath and has a heart rate of 145 beats per minute. After calling for help, what is the nurse's priority action?

protecting and maintaining the patency of the client's airway

allows part of a drug dose to be stored and released as needed

protein binding

A client, diagnosed with left-sided heart failure, should be taught to recognize the signs and symptoms of the onset of what classic manifestation of this condition?

pulmonary edema

The nurse knows that when caring for the older adult, there are several normal aging processes that put the client at risk for toxicity. What factor puts such clients at increased risk for drug toxicity?

reduced efficiency of renal function

Knowing that an older adult has received a lipid-soluble anesthetic, the postanesthesia unit nurse will be particularly attentive to which of the client's assessment data?

respiratory rate

A client is experiencing orthostatic hypotension that is due to antihypertensive therapy. Which nursing diagnosis would be most appropriate?

risk for injury

a laboratory measurement of the amount of a drug in the blood at a particular time

serum drug level

the time required for the serum concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%

serum half-life

when two drugs with different sites or mechanisms of action produce greater effects when taken together

synergism

Drug evaluation studies are used to determine critical concentration. The nurse understands that the critical concentration is the amount of the drug needed to cause:

therapeutic effect.

All drugs can cause adverse reactions. What is an example of an adverse reaction?

tissue and organ damage

when the body becomes accustomed to a particular drug over time so that larger doses must be given to produce the same effects

tolerance

results from excessive amounts of a drug and may damage body tissues

toxicity

Vasodilators used to treat heart failure include nitrates and ACE inhibitors.

true

A 67-year-old man is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. He reports to the nurse that he has chronic arthritis and circulation problems. The client has a history of mild hypertension. He explains that he owns a business and lives alone. The nurse determines that he is within the normal weight range for his height and age but has a fondness for spicy foods and sweets. Which of the mentioned patient variables will have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of the client's drug therapy?

vascular impairment

A group of nursing students are reviewing cardiotonic drugs. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which adverse reaction associated with cardiotonic medications?

visual disturbances