pharmacology

QUESTION 1

1. What lab value will best reflect renal function in a client taking multiple medicines?

		creatinine clearance
		potassium levels
		sodium levels
		urinalysis

0.5 points   

QUESTION 2

1. Which teaching point is correct with respect to the concept of “tolerance”?

		Tolerance is a state where people become used to pain, and therefore need less pain medicine.
		In tolerance, larger doses are needed to achieve prior effects because a body learns to push back.
		Tolerance occurs in slow metabolizers. Slow metabolism leads to prolonged sedation.
		Tolerance occurs in fast metabolizers. Faster metabolism leads to faster sedation.

0.5 points   

QUESTION 3

1. Which statement regarding the blood-brain barrier demonstrates a need for further teaching?

		“It can protect the brain from potentially toxic substance injuries.”
		“It can be a significant obstacle to entry of therapeutic agents.”
		“It is not fully developed at birth.”
		“It lets in therapeutic agents in but filters out everything else.”

0.5 points   

QUESTION 4

1. A client who has been taking an antiepileptic medication with a narrow therapeutic window for 2 weeks seems confused and forgetful. What should be the priority action of the nurse?

		Call the prescriber and have them change the seizure medication.
		Give an antihistamine under house protocol to stop the allergic response.
		Seek a plasma drug level order from the client’s prescriber.
		Set up oxygen and obtain an order for activated charcoal.

0.5 points   

QUESTION 5

1. The nurse is assessing a client who has requested an adrenergic drug for dyspnea. Which sign would make the nurse hesitate to give the medication?

		Pulse oximetry saturation of 88%
		Blood pressure of 130/86
		Respiratory rate of 28
		Irregular heart rate of 122

0.5 points   

QUESTION 6

1. A nurse is caring for a client being treated with Minipress (prazosin), an alpha blocker. What counseling should the client receive?

		Rise slowly from lying to standing to avoid dizziness and a possible fall.
		Void before taking the medication to avoid urine retention
		Take a daily laxative to avoid constipation
		Avoid drinking more than 600 mls of fluid per day while taking this medication

0.5 points   

QUESTION 7

1. For which client would a beta adrenergic blocker like Atenolol be prescribed?

		A client with urinary retention
		A client who suffers from diarrhea
		A hypertensive client with a heart rate of 104
		A client who suffers from asthma

0.5 points   

QUESTION 8

1. How would a nurse explain the way pilocarpine (Salagen), a cholinergic, would resolve dry mouth symptoms?

		It stimulates salivation by blocking nicotinic receptors
		It stimulates salivation by stimulating muscarinic receptors
		It stimulates salivation by stimulating alpha receptors in the brain
		It stimulates salivation by redirecting fluid from the optic nerve

0.5 points   

QUESTION 9

1. A client with Alzheimer’s disease has been taking Exelon (rivastigmine), a cholinesterase inhibitor for a week. What anticipated side effects of this cholinergic medication would the nurse anticipate?

		Numbness and tingling in the extremities
		Hypertension, tachycardia, and palpations
		Diarrhea, urgency and possible bradycardia
		Tinnitus and hearing loss

0.5 points   

QUESTION 10

1. A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a client whose family reports that she had taken an overdose of diazepam. Which of the following medications should the nurse have available to reverse the CNS depression caused by this drug?

		Ondasteron (Zofran)
		Magnesium sulfate
		Flumazanil (Romazicon)
		Protamine sulfate