Funds Success Pharmacology

Question 1

A practitioner prescribes aluminum hydroxide/magnesium hydroxide (Maalox) tablets, an antacid agent, for a pt with symptoms of indigestion. What is the most important thing the nurse needs to teach this pt to do?

1. document the characteristics of gastric discomfort in a log
2. notify the practitioner if coffee ground vomitus occurs
3. take the drug an hour before meals
4. swallow the tablets whole

Answer 1

*2

Question 2

A nurse, working on an infection disease unit, routinely administers antibiotics. Which nursing action is most important in relation to the administration of most antibiotics?

1. assessing for constipation
2. administering between meals
3. encouraging foods high in vitamin K
4. monitoring the volume of urinary output

Answer 2

*2

Question 3

A nurse is preparing to administer an injection of heparin (Hep-Lock). What is the preferred site for this injection?

1. leg
2. arm
3. buttock
4. abdomen

Answer 3

*4

Question 4

Which concept associated with drug therapy and quality of sleep is important for a nurse to consider to best plan nursing care?

1. aggressive pain management intervention will reduce pain but increase insomnia
2. abrupt discontinuation of hypnotic drugs can lead to withdrawl symptoms
3. sedatives support restful sleep for people experiencing hypoxia
4. barbiturates are the drugs of choice for insomnia

Answer 4

*2

Question 5

A nurse in the hospital is evaluating pt responses to medications. Which classification of drugs commonly precipitates diarrhea as an adverse effect?

1. sedatives
2. narcotics
3. antibiotics
4. antiemetics

Answer 5

*3

Question 6

After administering a drug, the nurse monitors the pt for reactions. Which reaction has the greatest potential to be life threatening?

1. toxicity
2. habituation
3. anaphylaxis
4. idiosyncratic

Answer 6

*3

Question 7

A public health nurse is planning a health class about herbal remedies for a group of older adults at the community center. The nurse should include that herbal remedies are:

1. required to be labeled with information about their structure
2. approved by the Food and Drug Administration
3. natural because they are botanical in origin
4. safe because they are organic

Answer 7

*1

Question 8

A nurse is assessing pts’ responses to medications received. What must the nurse know about these drugs to best evaluate whether the expected outcomes of the drug therapy have been achieved?

1. side effects
2. therapeutic effect
3. mechanism of action
4. chemical composition

Answer 8

*2

Question 9

A nurse is to administer a variety of analgesics. Which medication is most important for the nurse to know its daily dose limit?

1. meperidine
2. ibuprofen
3. morphine
4. codeine

Answer 9

*2

Question 10

A pt in pain requests the prescribed pain medications, which is an opioid. Which nursing assessment is essential before administering the opioid?

1. pulse
2. respirations
3. temperature
4. blood pressure

Answer 10

*2

Question 11

A practitioner prescribes an antihypertensive medication to be administered twice a day. What is essential for the nurse to assess before administering the antihypertensive agent?

1. level of consciousness
2. apical heart rate
3. blood pressure
4. respirations

Answer 11

*3

Question 12

Which is common concern of the nurse when caring for pts taking drugs that depress the immune system?

1. inability to follow the therapeutic regimen
2. sensory perceptual alterations
3. constipation
4. infection

Answer 12

*4

Question 13

A practitioner tells a pt who is receiving an antibiotic that several blood specimens will be taken to evaluate the effectiveness of the antibiotic therapy. The pt asks the nurse, “Why do these tests have to be done?” What should the nurse respond is the primary purpose of determining peak and trough levels of a drug?

1. maintain constant drug levels in the body
2. determine the half-life of a drug in the body
3. establish where biotransformation occurs in the body
4. monitor the rate of absorption of the drug in the body

Answer 13

*1

Question 14

After the nurse administers an opioid, the pt becomes excitable. Which response should the nurse identify is being experienced by the pt?

1. toxic
2. allergic
3. synergistic
4. idiosyncratic

Answer 14

*4

Question 15

A pt experiences unrelenting neuropathic pain. Which classification of drug should the nurse anticipate that the practitioner will prescribe for this pt?

1. anticonvulsant
2. antidepressant
3. antihistamine
4. anesthetic

Answer 15

*2

Question 16

A nurse is administering the 10 am medications to all the pts on a hospital unit. The nurse anticipates that a pt with which condition is at the greatest risk for toxicity associated with most drugs?

1. liver disease
2. kidney insufficiency
3. respiratory difficulty
4. malabsorption syndrome

Answer 16

*1

Question 17

A nurse is discussing with a pt the variety of routes that medications can be administered. The nurse explains that medications are absorbed most efficiently when they are administered:

1. orally
2. rectally
3. intravenously
4. intramuscularly

Answer 17

*3

Question 18

A pt has been taking an antianxiety medication for a prolonged period of time. Which information is most helpful to the nurse when attempting to determine if the pt has developed a physiological dependence on the drug?

1. degree of tolerance
2. strength of the dose
3. perceived need by the pt
4. time it takes to achieve the therapeutic effect

Answer 18

*3

Question 19

A pt with a severe upper respiratory tract infection is being treated with a bronchodilator. What pt response indicates that the therapeutic effect has been achieved?

1. viscous secretions
2. no difficulty breathing
3. respiratory excursion
4. bronchovesicular breath sounds

Answer 19

*2

Question 20

A pt admits to taking Milk of Magnesia (MOM) for its laxative effect several times a week. The most important information the nurse should teach a pt taking MOM is that it:

1. can cause dependence and dehydration if taken for more than 2 weeks
2. can cause an accumulation of sodium and potassium ions
3. should be accompanied by 2 to 3 glasses of fluid
4. should be taken at bedtime

Answer 20

*1

Question 21

A pt has a prescription for an antiemetic as an adjunct to antineoplastic therapy. What dosing schedule should the nurse anticipate that the practitioner will prescribe?

1. after the pt vomits
2. 30 mins before meals
3. when the pt reports nausea
4. 4 and 8 hours after the initial dose

Answer 21

*4

Question 22

After the ingestion of a new medication the pt develops a rash, urticaria, and pruritus. What should the conclude that the pt is experiencing?

1. allergic response
2. idiosyncratic effect
3. anaphylactic reaction
4. synergistic interaction

Answer 22

*1

Question 23

A pt is taking hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) once a day. Which fruit should the nurse encourage the pt to eat?

1. plum
2. orange
3. banana
4. tangerine

Answer 23

*3

Question 24

A nurse must administer a medication that is a digitalis derivative. Which nursing assessment is essential before administering the medication?

1. pulse rate
2. blood pressure
3. respiratory rate
4. level of consciousness

Answer 24

*1

Question 25

A nurse teaches a pt to use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). The pt asks, "Why do I need this instead of just taking a pill?" What should the nurse respond is the primary purpose of a metered-dose inhaler? 1. provides you will a sense of control 2. directs the medication into your upper respiratory tract 3. delivers medication via positive pressure into your lungs 4. releases the medication in small particles that you can inhale deeply

Answer 25

*4

Question 26

Pts with multiple health problems often go to a variety of medical specialists. What response to medication occurs more frequently in pts who go to several medical specialists? 1. allergies 2. tolerance 3. habituation 4. interactions

Answer 26

*4

Question 27

A nurse is responsible for administering medications via various routes to a group of pts. Which route of administration is the most effective way to achieve and maintain a drug's therapeutic level? 1. IV push 2. sublingual route 3. oral administration 4. large volume infusion

Answer 27

*4

Question 28

A nurse is administering a variety of medications via the following routes. Which of these routes is the fastest acting? 1. buccal 2. transdermal 3. subcutaneous 4. intramuscular

Answer 28

*4

Question 29

While the nurse is applying a transdermal patch, the pt asks the nurse, "Why can't I just take a pill?" What should the nurse explain is the advantage of administering a medication via a transdermal patch? 1. limits allergic responses 2. prevents drug interactions 3. delivers the drug over a period of time 4. provides a local rather than a systemic effect

Answer 29

*3

Question 30

A pt asks the nurse why the physician prescribed a lipid-lowering drug. Before responding, the nurse considers that practitioners generally prescribe hyperlipidemia drug therapy: 1. after failure of diet therapy 2. for those who are unable to exercise 3. for pts older than 60 years of age 4. after 2 consecutive months of elevated serum lipid levels

Answer 30

*1

Question 31

A nurse administers a prescribed antiemetic. A reduction in which clinical manifestation indicates that the pt is experiencing a therapeutic response? 1. fever 2. anxiety 3. vomiting 4. coughing

Answer 31

*3

Question 32

When contrasting prefilled, disposable unit-dose intramuscular drug cartridges versus multidose vials, the nurse concludes that the primary purpose of unit-dose cartridges is to: 1. ensure that the appropriate length needle is attached 2. reduce the incidence of drug interactions 3. limit preparation time in emergencies 4. ensure purity of the drugs

Answer 32

*4

Question 33

A nurse is caring for a pt who is being weaned from long-term prescribed corticosteroids. The nurse understands that this is necessary because a sudden discontinuance of corticosteroids can contribute to: 1. hypothermia 2. bleeding 3. seizures 4. shock

Answer 33

*4

Question 34

A pt has a prescription for diphenoxylate/atropine (Lomotil), an antidiarrheal agent. What should the nurse teach the pt about this medication? 1. inform the practitioner if diarrhea persists for more than 2 days 2. be alert to the fact that it may cause hyperactivity 3. limit fluid intake to 2000 mL/day 4. avoid crushing the tablets

Answer 34

*1

Question 35

The nurse is administering an antihypertensive medication to a pt. Which clinical manifestation should the nurse identify as an excessive response to the antihypertensive agent? 1. respirations of 24 breaths per min 2. heart rate of 60 beats per min 3. blood pressure of 80/60 mm Hg 4. oral temperature of 98* F

Answer 35

*3

Question 36

The pt has a prescription for sertraline (Zoloft), an antidepressant. What is most important for the nurse to do? 1. monitor the pt for suicidal tendencies 2. advise the pt to engage in psychotherapy 3. teach the pt to limit alcohol intake to one drink per day 4. encourage the pt to diet because weight gain is common

Answer 36

*1

Question 37

A pt is receiving an antipyretic agent. What pt assessment should be performed to determine if the medication has achieved a therapeutic response? 1. urinary output 2. pain tolerance 3. temperature 4. respirations

Answer 37

*3

Question 38

What is most important action by the nurse before instituting pt-controlled analgesia (PCA) via a continuous intravenous route for the relief of pain? 1. monitor the pt's analgesic blood levels 2. determine the pt's pain tolerance 3. assess the pt's respiratory status 4. identify the pt's pain threshold

Answer 38

*3

Question 39

Identify the drug classifications that are correctly associated with their expected therapeutic outcomes. (select all that apply) 1. bronchodilators: relieve dyspnea 2. diuretics: increase urinary output 3. antitussives: prevent or relieve coughing 4. expectorants: decrease mucus production 5. antiemetics: prevent or treat nausea and vomiting

Answer 39

*1, 2, 3, 5