WGU D116 Unit 2 Questions with Verified
Correct Answers
A patient receives a drug that has a narrow therapeutic range. What is the nurse
administering this medication expected to do?
Monitor plasma drug levels
Narrow therapeutic range is more difficult to administer safely because the difference
between MEC and toxic concentration is small
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?
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?
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Does the volume of distribution increase or decrease as the concentration of a drug in
the blood plasma increases?
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?
, 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?
It increases or decreases the activity of that receptor
Which pharmacodynamic principle is most correlated with drug toxicity?
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?
It is selective to receptors that regulate more than one body process
Which statement about food and drug interactions is true?
Some foods can inhibit CYP isoenzymes and alter drug metabolism
Grapefruit inhibits which lowers metabolism of drugs, leading to toxic effects of drugs
With respect to the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, what will result in a higher
concentration of a drug?
Inhibition of the enzyme
Correct Answers
A patient receives a drug that has a narrow therapeutic range. What is the nurse
administering this medication expected to do?
Monitor plasma drug levels
Narrow therapeutic range is more difficult to administer safely because the difference
between MEC and toxic concentration is small
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?
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?
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Does the volume of distribution increase or decrease as the concentration of a drug in
the blood plasma increases?
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?
, 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?
It increases or decreases the activity of that receptor
Which pharmacodynamic principle is most correlated with drug toxicity?
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?
It is selective to receptors that regulate more than one body process
Which statement about food and drug interactions is true?
Some foods can inhibit CYP isoenzymes and alter drug metabolism
Grapefruit inhibits which lowers metabolism of drugs, leading to toxic effects of drugs
With respect to the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, what will result in a higher
concentration of a drug?
Inhibition of the enzyme
