WGU D116 UPDATED ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
◉ A patient is receiving intravenous gentamicin. A serum drug test
reveals toxic levels. The dosing is correct, and this medication has
been tolerated by this patient in the past.
What is a probable cause of the test result?
Answer: The pt is taking another medication that binds to serum
albumin
BGentamicin binds to albumin but weakly. In presence of another
drug that binds to albumin, gentamicin can rise to toxic levels in
blood stream
◉ What are the components of pharmacokinetics?
Answer: Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
◉ Does the volume of distribution increase or decrease as the
concentration of a drug in the blood plasma increases?
Answer: DECREASES
, ◉ A patient reports becoming "immune" to a medication because it
no longer works to alleviate symptoms.
The provider recognizes that this decreased effectiveness is likely
caused by what?
Answer: Desensitization of receptor sites by continual exposure to
the drug
Continual exposure to an agonist would cause the cell to become less
responsive or desensitized
◉ What occurs when a drug binds to a receptor in the body?
Answer: It increases or decreases the activity of that receptor
◉ Which pharmacodynamic principle is most correlated with drug
toxicity?
Answer: Therapeutic index
Which is calculated by dividing the median toxic dose by the median
efficacious dose
◉ A patient who is taking morphine for pain asks the nurse how a
pain medication can also cause constipation.
What is the nurse's response?
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
◉ A patient is receiving intravenous gentamicin. A serum drug test
reveals toxic levels. The dosing is correct, and this medication has
been tolerated by this patient in the past.
What is a probable cause of the test result?
Answer: The pt is taking another medication that binds to serum
albumin
BGentamicin binds to albumin but weakly. In presence of another
drug that binds to albumin, gentamicin can rise to toxic levels in
blood stream
◉ What are the components of pharmacokinetics?
Answer: Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
◉ Does the volume of distribution increase or decrease as the
concentration of a drug in the blood plasma increases?
Answer: DECREASES
, ◉ A patient reports becoming "immune" to a medication because it
no longer works to alleviate symptoms.
The provider recognizes that this decreased effectiveness is likely
caused by what?
Answer: Desensitization of receptor sites by continual exposure to
the drug
Continual exposure to an agonist would cause the cell to become less
responsive or desensitized
◉ What occurs when a drug binds to a receptor in the body?
Answer: It increases or decreases the activity of that receptor
◉ Which pharmacodynamic principle is most correlated with drug
toxicity?
Answer: Therapeutic index
Which is calculated by dividing the median toxic dose by the median
efficacious dose
◉ A patient who is taking morphine for pain asks the nurse how a
pain medication can also cause constipation.
What is the nurse's response?
