CHAPTER 2: APPLICATION OF PHARMACOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE TEST BANK

CHAPTER 2: APPLICATION OF PHARMACOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE TEST BANKCHAPTER 2: APPLICATION OF PHARMACOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE TEST BANK Chapter 2: Application of Pharmacology in Nursing Practice Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A patient is using a metered-dose inhaler containing albuterol for asthma. The medication label instructs the patient to administer “2 puffs every 4 hours as needed for coughing or wheezing.” The patient reports feeling jittery sometimes when taking the medication, and she doesn’t feel that the medication is always effective. Which is not an appropriate nursing intervention for this patient? a. Asking the patient to demonstrate use of the inhaler b. Assessing the patient’s exposure to tobacco smoke c. Auscultating lung sounds and obtaining vital signs d. Suggesting that the patient use one puff to reduce side effects ANS: D It is not within the nurse’s scope of practice to change the dose of a medication without an order from a prescriber. Asking the patient to demonstrate inhaler use helps the nurse to evaluate the patient’s ability to administer the medication properly and is part of the nurse’s evaluation. Assessing tobacco smoke exposure helps the nurse determine whether nondrug therapies, such a smoke avoidance, can be used as an adjunct to drug therapy. Performing a physical assessment helps the nurse evaluate the patient’s response to the medication. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Applying the Nursing Process in Drug Therapy: Preadministration Assessment [and all subsections under this heading] TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 2. A postoperative patient is being discharged home with acetaminophen/hydrocodone (Lortab) for pain. The patient asks the nurse about using Tylenol for fever. Which statement by the nurse is correct? a. “It is not safe to take over-the-counter drugs with prescription medications.” b. “Taking the two medications together poses a risk of drug toxicity.” c. “There are no known drug interactions, so this will be safe.” d. “Tylenol and Lortab are different drugs, so there is no risk of overdose.” ANS: B Tylenol is the trade name and acetaminophen is the generic name for the same medication. It is important to teach patients to be aware of the different names for the same drug to minimize the risk of overdose. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications and prescription medications may be taken together unless significant harmful drug interactions are possible. Even though no drug interactions are at play in this case, both drugs contain acetaminophen, which could lead to toxicity. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Application of Pharmacology in Patient Education: Dosage and Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 3. The nurse is preparing to care for a patient who will be taking an antihypertensive medication. Which action by the nurse is part of the assessment step of the nursing process? a. Asking the prescriber for an order to monitor serum drug levels b. Monitoring the patient for drug interactions after giving the medication c. Questioning the patient about over-the-counter medications d. Taking the patient’s blood pressure throughout the course of treatment ANS: C The assessment part of the nursing process involves gathering information before beginning treatment, and this includes asking about other medications the patient may be taking. Monitoring serum drug levels, watching for drug interactions, and checking vital signs after giving the medication are all part of the evaluation phase. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Preadministration Assessment TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. A postoperative patient reports pain, which the patient rates as an 8 on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the most extreme pain). The prescriber has ordered acetaminophen (Tylenol) 650 mg PO every 6 hours PRN pain. What will the nurse do? a. Ask the patient what medications have helped with pain in the past. b. Contact the provider to request a different analgesic medication. c. Give the pain medication and reposition the patient to promote comfort. d. Request an order to administer the medication every 4 hours. ANS: B The nursing diagnosis for this patient is severe pain. Acetaminophen is given for mild to moderate pain, so the nurse should ask the prescriber to order a stronger analgesic medication. Asking the patient to tell the nurse what has helped in the past is a part of an initial assessment and should be done preoperatively and not when the patient is having severe pain. Because the patient is having severe pain, acetaminophen combined with nondrug therapies will not be sufficient. Increasing the frequency of the dose of a medication for mild pain will not be effective. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Analysis and Nursing Diagnosis TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 5. A patient newly diagnosed with diabetes is to be discharged from the hospital. The nurse teaching this patient about home management should begin by doing what? a. Asking the patient to demonstrate how to measure and administer insulin b. Discussing methods of storing insulin and discarding syringes c. Giving information about how diet and exercise affect insulin requirements d. Teaching the patient about the long-term consequences of poor diabetes control ANS: A Because insulin must be given correctly to control symptoms and because an overdose can be fatal, it is most important for the patient to know how to administer it. Asking for a demonstration of technique is the best way to determine whether the patient has understood the teaching. When a patient is receiving a lot of new information, the information presented first is the most likely to be remembered. The other teaching points are important as well, but they are not as critical and can be taught later. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Planning TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 6. The nurse receives an order to give morphine 5 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain. Which action is not part of the six rights of drug administration? a. Assessing the patient’s pain level 15 to 30 minutes after giving the medication b. Checking the medication administration record to see when the last dose was administered c. Consulting a drug manual to determine whether the amount the prescriber ordered is appropriate d. Documenting the reason the medication was given in the patient’s electronic medical record ANS: A Assessing the patient’s pain after administering the medication is an important part of the nursing process when giving medications, but it is not part of the six rights of drug administration. Checking to see when the last dose was given helps ensure that the medication is given at the right time. Consulting a drug manual helps ensure that the medication is given in the right dose. Documenting the reason for a pain medication is an important part of the right documentation—the sixth right. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Evolution of Nursing Responsibilities Regarding Drugs | Implementation TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 7. A patient tells a nurse that a medication prescribed for recurrent migraine headaches is not working. What will the nurse do? a. Ask the patient about the number and frequency of tablets taken. b. Assess the patient’s headache pain on a scale from 1 to 10. c. Report the patient’s complaint to the prescriber. d. Suggest biofeedback as an adjunct to drug therapy. ANS: A When evaluating the effectiveness of a drug, it is important to determine whether the patient is using the drug as ordered. Asking the patient to tell the nurse how many tablets are taken and how often helps the nurse determine compliance. Assessing current pain does not yield information about how well the medication is working unless the patient is currently taking it. The nurse should gather as much information about compliance, symptoms, and drug effectiveness as possible before contacting the prescriber. Biofeedback may be an effective adjunct to treatment, but it should not be recommended without complete information about drug effectiveness. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Evaluation TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 8. A nurse is preparing to administer medications. Which patient would the nurse consider to have the greatest predisposition to an adverse reaction? a. A 30-year-old man with kidney disease b. A 75-year-old woman with cystitis c. A 50-year-old man with an upper respiratory tract infection d. A 9-year-old boy with an ear infection ANS: A The individual with impaired kidney function would be at risk of having the drug accumulate to a toxic level because of potential excretion difficulties. Cystitis is an infection of the bladder and not usually the cause of excretion problems that might lead to an adverse reaction from a medication. A respiratory tract infection would not predispose a patient to an adverse reaction, because drugs are not metabolized or excreted by the lungs. A 9-year-old boy would not have the greatest predisposition to an adverse reaction simply because he is a child; nor does an ear infection put him at greater risk. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Minimizing Adverse Reactions TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 9. A nurse consults a drug manual before giving a medication to an 80-year-old patient. The manual states that elderly patients are at increased risk for hepatic side effects. Which action by the nurse is correct? a. Contact the provider to discuss an order for pretreatment laboratory work. b. Ensure that the drug is given in the correct dose at the correct time to minimize the risk of adverse effects. c. Notify the provider that this drug is contraindicated for this patient. d. Request an order to give the medication intravenously so that the drug does not pass through the liver. ANS: A The drug manual indicates that this drug should be given with caution to elderly patients. Getting information about liver function before giving the drug establishes baseline data that can be compared with post-treatment data to determine whether the drug is affecting the liver. Giving the correct dose at the correct interval helps to minimize risk, but without baseline information, the effects cannot be determined. The drug is not contraindicated. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Minimizing Adverse Effects TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 10. A patient has been receiving intravenous penicillin for pneumonia for several days and begins to complain of generalized itching. The nurse auscultates bilateral wheezing and notes a temperature of 38.5° C (101° F). Which is the correct action by the nurse? a. Administer the next dose and continue to evaluate the patient’s symptoms. b. Ask the prescriber if an antihistamine can be given to relieve the itching. c. Contact the prescriber to request an order for a chest radiograph. d. Hold the next dose and notify the prescriber of the symptoms. ANS: D Pruritus and wheezing are signs of a possible allergic reaction, which can be fatal; therefore, the medication should not be given and the prescriber should be notified. When patients are having a potentially serious reaction to a medication, the nurse should not continue giving the medication. Antihistamines may help the symptoms of an allergic reaction, but the first priority is to stop the medication. Obtaining a chest radiograph is not helpful. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Evolution of Nursing Responsibilities Regarding Drugs | Application of Pharmacology in Patient Care: Identifying High-Risk Patients TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential MULTIPLE RESPONSE 1. A nurse is reviewing a patient’s medical record before administering a medication. Which factor(s) can alter the patient’s physiologic response to the drug? (Select all that apply.) a. Ability to swallow pills b. Age c. Genetic factors d. Gender e. Height ANS: B, C, D Age, genetic factors, and gender all influence an individual patient’s ability to absorb, metabolize, and excrete drugs; therefore, these factors must be assessed before a medication is administered. A patient’s ability to swallow pills, although it may determine the way a drug is administered, does not affect the physiologic response. Height does not affect response; weight and the distribution of adipose tissue can affect the distribution of drugs. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Evolution of Nursing Responsibilities Regarding Drugs | Application of Pharmacology in Patient Care: Preadministration Assessment TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential Chapter 3: Drug Regulation, Development, Names, and Information Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A nurse educator is conducting a continuing education class on pharmacology. To evaluate the learning of the nurses in the class, the nurse educator asks, “Which drug name is a generic drug name?” Which is the correct response? a. Acetaminophen b. Tylenol c. Cipro d. Motrin ANS: A Acetaminophen is the generic name. Tylenol, Cipro, and Motrin are all trade names. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Table 3-3: The Three Types of Drug Names TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 2. The FDA Amendments Act (FDAAA) was passed in 2007 to address which aspect of drug safety? a. Allowing pharmaceutical companies to identify off-label uses of medications approved for other uses b. Evaluating drug safety information that emerges after a drug has been approved and is in use c. Expediting the approval process of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so that needed drugs can get to market more quickly d. Requiring manufacturers to notify patients before removing a drug from the market ANS: B The FDAAA was passed to enable the Food and Drug Administration to continue oversight of a drug after granting it approval so that changes in labeling could be made as necessary and postmarketing risks could be tracked and identified. A provision of the FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA), passed in 1997, allows drug companies to promote their products for off-label uses as long as they promise to conduct studies to support their claims. Regulations to permit accelerated approval of drugs for life-threatening diseases were adopted in 1992 by the FDA. The requirement that drug companies notify patients 6 months before removing a drug from the market is a provision of the FDAMA. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Landmark Drug Legislation TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 3. A nursing student asks a nurse about pharmaceutical research and wants to know the purpose of randomization in drug trials. The nurse explains that randomization is used to: a. ensure that differences in outcomes are the result of treatment and not differences in subjects. b. compare the outcome caused by the treatment to the outcome caused by no treatment. c. make sure that researchers are unaware of which subjects are in which group. d. prevent subjects from knowing which group they are in and prevent preconception bias. ANS: A Randomization helps prevent allocation bias, which can occur when researchers place subjects with desired characteristics in the study group and other subjects in the control group so that differences in outcome are actually the result of differences in subjects and not treatment. Comparing treatment outcome to no treatment outcome is the definition of a controlled study. The last two options describe the use of blinding in studies; blinding ensures that researchers or subjects (or both) are unaware of which subjects are in which group so that preconceptions about benefits and risks cannot bias the results. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: The Randomized Drug Trial TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 4. Someone asks a nurse about a new drug that is in preclinical testing and wants to know why it cannot be used to treat a friend’s illness. Which statement by the nurse is correct? a. “A drug at this stage of development can be used only in patients with serious disease.” b. “At this stage of drug development, the safety and usefulness of the medication is unknown.” c. “Clinical trials must be completed to make sure the drug is safe to use in humans.” d. “Until postmarketing surveillance data are available, the drug cannot be used.” ANS: B Preclinical testing must be completed before drugs can be tested in humans. In this stage, drugs are evaluated for toxicities, pharmacokinetic properties, and potentially useful effects. Some drugs can be used in patients before completion of Phase III studies, but this is after preclinical testing is complete. Clinical trials proceed in stages, and each stage has guidelines defining how a new drug may be used and which patients may receive it. Postmarketing surveillance takes place after a drug is in general use. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Landmark Drug Legislation | Stages of Drug Development TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 5. A patient asks a nurse why drugs that have been approved by the FDA still have unknown side effects. The nurse tell the patient that: a. testing for all side effects of a medication would be prohibitively expensive. b. patients in drug trials often are biased by their preconceptions of a drug’s benefits. c. researchers tend to conduct studies that will prove the benefits of their new drugs. d. subjects in drug trials do not always represent the full spectrum of possible patients. ANS: D All drug trials are limited by a relatively small group of subjects who may not have all the characteristics of people who will be using the drug; therefore, some side effects go undetected until the drug is in use. Although drug trials are very expensive, this is only an indirect reason they do not detect all side effects before approval. In theory, well-designed drug trials, using blinded studies, minimize or eliminate subject bias. Designing studies to prove desired results is unethical. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Failure to Detect All Adverse Effects TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 6. A nurse is teaching nursing students about the use of nonproprietary names for drugs. The nurse tells them which fact about nonproprietary names? a. They are approved by the FDA and are easy to remember. b. They are assigned by the U.S. Adopted Names Council. c. They clearly identify the drug’s pharmacological classification. d. They imply the efficacy of the drug and are less complex. ANS: B Nonproprietary, or generic, names are assigned by the U.S. Adopted Names Council, which ensures that each drug has only one name. Trade names, or brand names, are approved by the FDA and are easier to remember. Some nonproprietary names contain syllables that identify the classification, although not all do. Drug names are not supposed to identify the use for the drug, although some brand names do so. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Drug Names: The Three Types of Drug Names TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential Chapter 4: Pharmacokinetics Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A patient tells the nurse that the oral drug that has been prescribed has caused a lot of stomach discomfort in the past. What will the nurse ask the prescriber? a. Whether a sublingual form of the medication can be given b. Whether the medication can be given by a parenteral route instead c. To order an enteric-coated form of the drug d. Whether the patient can receive a sustained-release preparation of the drug ANS: C Enteric-coated drugs are preparations that have been coated with a material that dissolves in the intestines, not the stomach. This coating is used either to protect the drug from stomach acid and pepsin or to protect the stomach from a drug that can cause gastric upset. Sublingual forms often are used for drugs that undergo rapid inactivation during the first pass through the hepatic circulation so that the drug can be absorbed directly into the systemic circulation. Parenteral routes are more costly and less safe than oral administration and should not be used unless necessary. A sustained-release preparation is used to release the drug into the body over a specific period to reduce the number of daily doses required to sustain therapeutic drug levels. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Comparing Oral Administration with Parenteral Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 2. A patient claims to get better effects with a tablet of Brand X of a drug than with a tablet of Brand Y of the same drug. Both brands contain the same amount of the active ingredient. What does the nurse know to be most likely? a. Advertising by pharmaceutical companies can enhance patient expectations of one brand over another, leading to a placebo effect. b. Because the drug preparations are chemically equivalent, the effects of the two brands must be identical. c. Tablets can differ in composition and can have differing rates of disintegration and dissolution, which can alter the drug’s effects in the body. d. The bioavailability of a drug is determined by the amount of the drug in each dose. ANS: C Even if two brands of a drug are chemically equivalent (i.e., they have identical amounts of the same chemical compound), they can have different effects in the body if they differ in bioavailability. Tablets made by different manufacturers contain different binders and fillers, which disintegrate and dissolve at different rates and affect the bioavailability of the drug. Two brands may be chemically equivalent and still differ in bioavailability, which is not determined by the amount of drug in the dose. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Pharmaceutical Preparations for Oral Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 3. A patient receives a drug that has a narrow therapeutic range. The nurse administering this medication will expect to do what? a. Administer the drug at intervals longer than the drug half-life. b. Administer this medication intravenously. c. Monitor plasma drug levels. d. Teach the patient that maximum drug effects will occur within a short period. ANS: C A drug with a narrow therapeutic range is more difficult to administer safely, because the difference between the minimum effective concentration and the toxic concentration is small. Patients taking these medications must have their plasma drug levels monitored closely to ensure that they are getting an effective dose that is not toxic. Administering medications at longer intervals only increases the time required to reach effective plasma drug levels. Drugs that have a narrow therapeutic range may be given by any route and do not differ from other medications in the amount of time it takes to take effect, which is a function of a drug’s half-life and dosing frequency. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Drug Half-Life TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. A patient is given a prescription for azithromycin (Zithromax) and asks the nurse why the dose on the first day is twice the amount of the dose on the next 4 days. Which reply by the nurse is correct? a. “A large initial dose helps to get the drug to optimal levels in the body faster.” b. “The first dose is larger to minimize the first pass effect of the liver.” c. “The four smaller doses help the body taper the amount of drug more gradually.” d. “Tubular reabsorption is faster with initial doses, so more is needed at first.” ANS: A A large initial dose is often used as a loading dose to help get serum drug levels to plateau levels more quickly. Larger doses do not prevent first pass effects in drugs susceptible to this type of metabolism. Tapering of doses sometimes is used to prevent rebound or withdrawal effects and is done by stepping down the amount of drug with each dose. Tubular reabsorption is a process that allows drugs to be reabsorbed from the urine into the blood. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Drug Half-Life | Loading Doses versus Maintenance Doses TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 5. A nurse is giving an enteral medication. The patient asks why this method is preferable for this drug. How will the nurse reply? a. “This route allows more rapid absorption of the drug.” b. “This route is safer, less expensive, and more convenient.” c. “This route is the best way to control serum drug levels.” d. “This route prevents inactivation of the drug by digestive enzymes.” ANS: B Parenteral routes include the intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous routes. Enteral routes include oral administration, including pills and liquid suspensions. Enteral routes are safer, cheaper, and easier to use. Parenteral routes are used when rapid absorption, precise control of plasma drug levels, and prevention of digestive inactivation are important. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Comparing Oral Administration with Parenteral Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 6. The nurse is preparing to administer penicillin G intramuscularly to a child. The child’s parents ask why the drug cannot be given in an oral liquid form. What is the nurse’s reply? a. “This drug causes severe gastric upset if given orally.” b. “This drug has a narrow therapeutic range, and the dose must be tightly controlled.” c. “This drug is absorbed much too quickly in an oral form.” d. “This drug would be inactivated by enzymes in the stomach.” ANS: D Penicillin G is inactivated by digestive enzymes in the stomach and cannot be given orally. It does not have a narrow therapeutic range. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Characteristics of Commonly Used Routes of Administration: Intramuscular and Oral TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 7. A prescriber has written an order for a medication: drug X 100 mg PO every 6 hours. The half-life for the drug is approximately 6 hours. The nurse is preparing to administer the first dose at 8:00 AM on Tuesday. On Wednesday, when will the serum drug level reach plateau? a. 2:00 AM b. 8:00 AM c. 2:00 PM d. 8:00 PM ANS: B It takes four half-lives for a drug to reach plateau. Total body stores reach their peak at the beginning of the fifth dose of a drug if all doses are equal in amount; in this case, this will be at 8:00 AM the following day. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Drug Half-Life: Time to Plateau TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 8. An adult male patient is 1 day postoperative from a total hip replacement. On a pain scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the greatest pain, the patient reports a pain level of 10. Which medication would be most appropriate for the nurse to administer to this patient? a. 60 mg morphine sulfate PO b. 75 mg meperidine (Demerol) intramuscularly c. 6 mg morphine sulfate intravenously d. Fentanyl (Duragesic) patch 50 mcg transdermally ANS: C The intravenous route is the fastest route of absorption and the one most appropriate for a patient in extreme pain. With the oral route, the medication would take at least 45 minutes to be effective, too long for a patient in extreme pain. With the intramuscular route, the medication would take at least 15 minutes to be effective; although faster than the oral route, this is not as fast as the intravenous route. A Duragesic patch would be the most inappropriate route because of the long drug half-life. This is a more appropriate route for long-term use. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Comparing Oral Administration with Parenteral Administration TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 9. A nurse is explaining drug metabolism to a nursing student who asks about glucuronidation. The nurse knows that this is a process that allows drugs to be: a. excreted in hydrolyzed form in the feces to reduce drug toxicity. b. reabsorbed from the urine into the renal circulation to minimize drug loss. c. recycled via the enterohepatic recirculation to remain in the body longer. d. transported across the renal tubules to be excreted in the urine. ANS: C Glucuronidation of some drugs in the liver allows drugs to enter the bile, pass into the duodenum, and then be hydrolyzed to release the free drug. This is a repeating cycle of enterohepatic recirculation, which allows drugs to remain in the body longer. Glucuronidated drugs that are more resistant to hydrolysis are excreted in the feces. Glucuronidation occurs in the enterohepatic circulation and not in the renal circulation. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Enterohepatic Recirculation TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 10. 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. Which could be a probable cause of the test result? a. A loading dose was not given. b. The drug was not completely dissolved in the IV solution. c. The patient is taking another medication that binds to serum albumin. d. The medication is being given at a frequency that is longer than its half-life. ANS: C Gentamicin binds to albumin, but only weakly and, in the presence of another drug that binds to albumin, can rise to toxic levels in blood serum. A loading dose increases the initial amount of a drug and is used to bring drug levels to the desired plateau more quickly. A drug that is not completely dissolved carries a risk of causing embolism. A drug given at a frequency longer than the drug half-life will likely be at subtherapeutic levels and not at toxic levels. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Protein Binding TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential MULTIPLE RESPONSE 1. When administering medications to infants, it is important to remember which of the following? (Select all that apply.) a. Breast-feeding infants are more likely to develop toxicity when given lipid-soluble drugs. b. Immaturity of renal function in infancy causes infants to excrete drugs less efficiently. c. Infants have immature livers, which slows drug metabolism. d. Infants are more sensitive to medications that act on the central nervous system (CNS). e. Oral medications are contraindicated in infants, because PO administration requires a cooperative patient. ANS: B, C, D Immature renal function causes infants to excrete drugs more slowly, and infants are at risk for toxicity until renal function is well developed. Infants’ livers are not completely developed, and they are less able to metabolize drugs efficiently. Because the blood-brain barrier is not well developed in infants, caution must be used when administering CNS drugs. Lipid-soluble drugs may be excreted in breast milk if the mother is taking them, but breast-feeding does not affect medications given directly to the infant. Oral medications may be given safely to infants as long as they are awake and can swallow the drug. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: The Blood-Brain Barrier, Special Considerations in Drug Metabolism TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential Chapter 5: Pharmacodynamics Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A patient is receiving digoxin twice daily. When assessing the patient before giving a dose, the nurse counts a pulse of 60 beats per minute and learns that the patient is experiencing nausea. The nurse consults a drug manual and verifies that the ordered dose is correct. What will the nurse do? a. Contact the prescriber to report the symptoms. b. Delay the dose so the drug can clear from receptor sites. c. Give the medication as ordered, because the dose is correct. d. Request an antinausea medication from the prescriber. ANS: A The symptoms indicate toxicity, and even though the dose is safe and effective in most cases, an individual patient may have toxic effects with a standard dose. The nurse should contact the prescriber to discuss the next steps. Delaying a dose without a change in order is not within the scope of practice for a nurse. The nurse should not give a dose of a medication when toxicity is suspected, because additional drug will compound the symptoms. Antiemetics are useful for counteracting drug side effects, but they should not be used when the patient’s symptoms indicate toxicity. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Interpatient Variability in Drug Responses TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 2. A patient reports becoming “immune” to a medication because it no longer works to alleviate symptoms. The nurse recognizes that this decreased effectiveness is likely caused by: a. antagonists produced by the body that compete with the drug for receptor sites. b. decreased selectivity of receptor sites, resulting in a variety of effects. c. desensitization of receptor sites by continual exposure to the drug. d. synthesis of more receptor sites in response to the medication. ANS: C Continual exposure to an agonist would cause the cell to become less responsive or desensitized. The body does not produce antagonists as a response to a medication. Receptor site selectivity is determined by physiologic factors and not by the substances that bind to them. Medications do not cause more receptors to be produced. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Regulation of Receptor Sensitivity TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 3. A patient has been receiving an antibiotic with a small therapeutic index for 10 days. Upon assessment, the nurse suspects that the patient may be experiencing toxicity. What would be the nurse’s priority action? a. Call the prescriber and have the antibiotic changed. b. Suspect an allergic reaction and administer a PRN antihistamine. c. Ask the prescriber to order a plasma drug level test. d. Set up oxygen and obtain an order for an antagonist. ANS: C A drug with a narrow therapeutic index indicates that a drug is relatively unsafe and should be monitored closely. The nurse should have a blood level drawn to confirm suspicions of toxicity. The nurse would not have the antibiotic changed, because there is no cause at this time. The patient is unlikely to be experiencing an allergic reaction, because the antibiotic has been in the system for 10 days. The patient shows no signs of anaphylaxis, so oxygen and an antagonist are not indicated. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: The Therapeutic Index TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. A patient who is taking morphine for pain asks the nurse how a pain medication can also cause constipation. What does the nurse know about morphine? a. It binds to different types of receptors in the body. b. It can cause constipation in toxic doses. c. It causes only one type of response, and the constipation is coincidental. d. It is selective to receptors that regulate more than one body process. ANS: D Morphine is a medication that is selective to receptor type that regulates more than one process. Because it is selective to receptor type, it does not bind to different types of receptors. Constipation is a normal side effect and is not significant for toxicity. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Receptors and Selectivity of Drug Action TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 5. A patient asks why albuterol causes a feeling of jitteriness when it is used to treat wheezing. The nurse knows that albuterol is a beta-adrenergic agonist that acts on beta2 receptor sites to cause smooth muscle dilation in the bronchioles of the lungs, but that it also can sometimes act on beta1 receptor sites in skeletal muscles to cause tremors. To explain this to the patient, the nurse will rely on knowledge of: a. drug selectivity. b. modified occupancy theory. c. relative potency. d. reversible effects. ANS: A The ability of a drug to be selective for receptor sites in a patient determines the types of effects it can have on the body. This drug can bind to two different types of receptors that cause different reactions. The modified occupancy theory addresses the strength of an attraction between a drug and a receptor and the drug’s ability to activate the receptor. Relative potency describes the amount of drug needed to produce a specific effect. Most drugs remain bound to receptors permanently, causing the effects to be reversible. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Receptors and Selectivity of Drug Action TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies MULTIPLE RESPONSE 1. Two nurses are discussing theories of drug-receptor interaction. Which statements are true regarding the affinity of a drug and its receptor? (Select all that apply.) a. Affinity and intrinsic activity are dependent properties. b. Affinity refers to the strength of the attraction between a drug and its receptor. c. Drugs with high affinity are strongly attracted to their receptors. d. Drugs with low affinity are strongly attracted to their receptors. e. The affinity of a drug for its receptors is reflected in its potency. ANS: B, C, E Affinity refers to the strength of the attraction between a drug and its receptor. Drugs with high affinity are strongly attracted to their receptors, and the affinity of a drug and its receptors is reflected in its potency. Affinity and intrinsic activity are independent properties. Drugs with low affinity are weakly attracted to their receptors. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Receptors and Selectivity of Drug Action TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 2. Which drugs will not be affected by interpatient variability? (Select all that apply.) a. Antiseptics applied to the skin to slow bacterial growth b. Antacids to help with the discomfort of heartburn c. Broad-spectrum antibiotics that are effective against many organisms d. Chelating agents that remove metal compounds from the body e. Topical analgesics used to treat localized pain ANS: A, B, D Antiseptics, antacids, and chelating agents are all receptorless drugs that do not depend on the body’s processes for effects; these agents react with other molecules. Broad-spectrum antibiotics and topical analgesics bind with receptors to produce desired effects, and these processes can be influenced by individual patient variables. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Drug Responses That Do Not Involve Receptors TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies Chapter 6: Drug Interactions Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The nurse is teaching a patient about taking warfarin and asks if the patient takes aspirin. This assessment by the nurse reflects a knowledge of which type of drug interaction? a. Creation of unique effects b. Increased therapeutic effects c. Inhibitory effects d. Potentiative effects ANS: D A potentiative effect is one in which one drug intensifies the effects of another. Both warfarin and aspirin suppress blood clotting, and the combination may increase the risk of bleeding, which is an intensified adverse effect. Creation of a unique effect is a rare occurrence in which the combination of two drugs creates a response not seen with either drug when given alone. Increased therapeutic effects are a type of potentiative effect; however, in this case the combination of two drugs would increase the desired effects. An inhibitory effect is a type of pharmacodynamic effect that occurs when an antagonist drug inhibits the action of an agonist drug at the same receptor site. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Consequences of Drug-Drug Interactions; also Pharmacodynamic Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 2. A young adult postoperative patient is receiving morphine 2 to 4 mg IV every 2 hours PRN pain. The last dose was 3 mg given 2 hours ago. The patient is asleep, and the nurse notes a heart rate of 86 beats per minute and a respiratory rate of 8 breaths per minute. Which PRN medication will the nurse give this patient? a. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to counter morphine side effects b. Morphine 4 mg for increased pain, as indicated by tachycardia c. Naloxone (Narcan) to block the effects of the morphine d. Nothing at this time, because the patient is resting comfortably ANS: C A respiratory rate of 8 breaths per minute indicates respiratory depression, which is a significant adverse effect indicating morphine toxicity. Naloxone blocks the actions of morphine at cell receptor sites and is given to quickly reverse the effects. This patient does not have signs of an allergic response, which would include shortness of breath, a rapid respiratory rate, and wheezing. The tachycardia might be a sign of worsening pain, but the toxic effects must be treated first. Patients who are sleeping are not always pain free. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Pharmacodynamic Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 3. In a discussion of drug-drug interactions, which would be the best example of a beneficial inhibitory interaction? a. Naloxone (Narcan) blocking morphine sulfate’s actions b. Antacids blocking the action of tetracycline (Sumycin) c. Alcohol blocking the actions of opioids d. Cholestyramine blocking the actions of antihypertensive drugs ANS: A Naloxone is used when a narcotic overdose has occurred. As a narcotic antagonist, it provides a beneficial inhibitory interaction. An antacid blocking tetracycline’s antibiotic effects would not be beneficial, but rather detrimental to the desired effects of the tetracycline. Alcohol would not block the effects of opiates, but would contribute to CNS depression. Cholestyramine and certain other adsorbent drugs, which are administered orally but do not undergo absorption, can adsorb other drugs onto themselves, thereby preventing absorption of the other drugs into the blood. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Pharmacodynamic Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. A patient is taking drug X and receives a new prescription for drug Y, which is listed as an inducing agent. The nurse caring for this patient understands that this patient may require doses of drug . a. lower; X b. lower; Y c. higher; X d. higher; Y ANS: C An inducing agent stimulates the synthesis of CYP isozymes, which may increase the metabolism of other drugs as much as two- to threefold, thereby lowering the level of those drugs in the body and requiring higher doses to maintain drug effectiveness. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Reduction of Effects: Altered Metabolism TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 5. A patient taking oral contraceptives thinks she may be pregnant. As part of this patient’s history, what will the nurse ask the patient? a. “Do you drink grapefruit juice?” b. “Do you take seizure medication?” c. “Do you take your contraception with milk?” d. “Do you use laxatives regularly?” ANS: B Patients taking oral contraceptives along with phenobarbital, which is used to treat seizures, will have lower levels of the contraceptive, because phenobarbital is an inducing agent, which causes an increase in the metabolism of oral contraceptives. Grapefruit juice inhibits the metabolism of some drugs, leading to toxic effects. Dairy products interfere with the absorption of tetracyclines, because the calcium binds with the drug to form an insoluble complex. Laxatives reduce the absorption of some drugs by speeding up the transit time through the gut DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Pharmacokinetic Interactions, Metabolism | Drug-Food Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 6. A child ingests a parent’s aspirin tablets, and the prescriber orders sodium bicarbonate to block the toxic effects of the aspirin. The nurse caring for this patient knows that sodium bicarbonate is effective against the aspirin because it: a. accelerates its passage through the intestine. b. alters urinary pH to enhance renal excretion. c. induces CYP isozymes to increase drug metabolism. d. raises the pH of the interstitial fluid to facilitate passage out of the cells. ANS: D Sodium bicarbonate increases the pH of interstitial fluid and plasma, allowing the acidic aspirin ions to move outside the cells and thus removing them from the site where they have toxic effects. It does not have laxative effects and does not alter the rate of passage through the gut. It is not a CYP isozyme inducer and therefore has no effect on drug metabolism. It does not alter renal excretion of aspirin. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Pharmacokinetic Interactions: Altered Distribution: Alteration of Extracellular pH TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 7. Which statement about food and drug interactions is true? a. Foods alter drug absorption and metabolism but not drug action. b. Medications are best absorbed on an empty stomach. c. Patient discomfort is the food and drug interaction of most concern. d. Some foods can inhibit CYP isozymes and alter drug metabolism. ANS: D Grapefruit juice inhibits CYP3A4, which lowers the metabolism of some drugs, leading to toxic effects of drugs affected by these isozymes. Foods can alter all pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes. Not all medications are absorbed better on an empty stomach; some require certain foods to enhance absorption. Patient comfort is a concern, but it is not as important as more severe and possibly life-threatening food and drug interactions. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Drug-Food Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 8. A nurse is teaching a patient about a prescription for a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor for depression. What will the nurse teach the patient to avoid while taking this drug? a. Alcoholic beverages b. Aged cheeses c. Brussels sprouts and cabbage d. Grapefruit juice ANS: B Aged cheeses are rich in tyramine, which interacts with MAO inhibitors to raise blood pressure to life-threatening levels. Patients taking MAO inhibitors should be taught to avoid tyramine-rich foods. Chianti wine contains tyramine, but other alcoholic beverages do not. Brussels sprouts and cabbage are foods rich in vitamin K, which can interfere with the effects of warfarin. Grapefruit juice inhibits CYP3A4 and interferes with the metabolism of many medications. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Impact of Food on Drug Toxicity TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential MULTIPLE RESPONSE 1. The nurse is providing multiple medications to a patient whose spouse brings him grapefruit juice every morning. The nurse should be concerned about which classes of drugs? (Select all that apply.) a. Calcium channel blockers b. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors c. Aminoglycosides d. Beta blockers e. Penicillins ANS: A, B Calcium channel blockers and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been shown to reach increased and/or toxic levels when taken with grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice is not contraindicated with aminoglycosides, beta blockers, or penicillins. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Impact of Food on Drug Metabolism: The Grapefruit Juice Effect TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 2. The nurse is administering morning medications. The nurse gives a patient multiple medications, two of which compete for plasma albumin receptor sites. As a result of this concurrent administration, the nurse can anticipate that what might occur? (Select all that apply.) a. Binding of one or both agents is reduced. b. Plasma levels of free drug will rise. c. Plasma levels of free drug will fall. d. The increase in free drug can intensify effects. e. The increase in bound drug can intensify effects. ANS: A, B, D When two drugs bind to the same site on plasma albumin, coadministration of those drugs produces competition for binding. As a result, binding of one or both agents is reduced, causing plasma levels of free drug to rise. The increase in free drug can intensify the effect, but it usually undergoes rapid elimination. The increase in plasma levels of free drug is rarely sustained. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Pharmacokinetic Interactions: Competition for Protein Binding TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 3. A nurse is caring for a patient who is taking multiple medications. To help ensure that adverse drug reactions are prevented or minimized, the nurse will do which of the following? (Select all that apply.) a. Ask the patient about over-the-counter medications used. b. Contact the prescriber to request cytochrome P450 levels. c. Limit the patient’s calcium intake. d. Obtain a thorough diet history. e. Request orders for PRN medications to treat any anticipated symptoms of drug interactions. ANS: A, B, D Over-the-counter medications add to drug interactions, and a thorough history of all medications taken by the patient is essential to minimize adverse drug reactions. Cytochrome P450 levels yield important information about a patient’s ability to metabolize drugs and can help predict whether drugs will reach toxic levels or be ineffective. A diet history allows providers to anticipate significant known food-drug interactions. Limiting calcium intake is necessary only if the patient is taking drugs known to interact with calcium, such as tetracycline. Asking for PRN medications to treat drug reactions may only compound the risk, because the risk of drug interactions increases with the number of medications taken. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Drug-Drug Interactions, Drug-Food Interactions TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. The prescriber has ordered an antibiotic for a patient with a bacterial infection. The nurse provides patient education at discharge and instructs the patient to take the drug on an empty stomach. When should the patient take the drug? (Select all that apply.) a. 1 hour or more before a meal b. Only after an 8-hour fast c. Only after the patient has missed a meal d. At least 2 hours after a meal e. Within 12 hours with liquids but not solids ANS: A, D The absorption of some drugs can be significantly reduced by food; these drugs should be taken on an empty stomach, which is 1 hour or more before a meal or at least 2 hours after a meal. An 8-hour fast is not necessary; the patient does not need to miss a meal to take the medication; and it is not reasonable to have the patient on thin liquids for 12 hours. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Timing of Drug Administration with Respect to Meals TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies Chapter 7: Adverse Drug Reactions and Medication Errors Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A patient is given a new medication and reports nausea within an hour after taking the drug. The nurse consults the drug information manual and learns that nausea is not an expected adverse effect of this drug. When the next dose is due, what will the nurse do? a. Administer the drug and tell the patient to report further nausea. b. Hold the drug and notify the provider of the patient’s symptoms. c. Report the symptoms of nausea to the MEDWATCH program. d. Request an order for an antiemetic to counter this drug’s effects. ANS: A Not all adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can be detected during clinical trials, and nurses should be alert to any effects that may result from drug administration. Because nausea is not a serious effect and because it is not yet known whether the drug is the cause of this patient’s nausea, the nurse should administer the medication and observe the patient for recurrence of the symptom. It is not necessary to hold the drug, because nausea is not a serious side effect. The MEDWATCH program should be notified when there is a greater suspicion that the drug may have caused the nausea if the nausea occurs with subsequent doses. Until there is greater suspicion that the drug actually caused this patient’s nausea, giving an antiemetic is not indicated. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Identifying Adverse Drug Reactions | Adverse Reactions to New Drugs TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 2. A patient is being discharged after surgery. During the admission history, the nurse had learned that the patient normally consumes two or three glasses of wine each day. The prescriber has ordered hydrocodone with acetaminophen (Lortab) for pain. What will the nurse do? a. Request an order for acetaminophen without hydrocodone for pain. b. Suggest that the patient use ibuprofen for pain. c. Tell the patient not to drink wine while taking the Lortab. d. Tell the patient to limit his wine intake to one or two glasses per day. ANS: C Combining a hepatotoxic drug with certain other drugs may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity. When even therapeutic doses of acetaminophen are taken with alcohol, the acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Patients should be cautioned not to drink alcohol; even two drinks with acetaminophen can produce this effect. Hydrocodone does not contribute to hepatotoxicity. Ibuprofen is not indicated for postoperative pain unless the pain is mild. Limiting wine to one or two glasses per day still increases the risk of hepatotoxicity. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Hepatotoxic Drugs TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 3. A nurse is reviewing a medication administration record before administering medications. Which order should the nurse implement? a. Furosemide (Lasix) 20 mg QD PO b. Furosemide (Lasix) 20 mg qd PO c. Furosemide (Lasix) 20 mg daily d. Furosemide (Lasix) 20 mg PO daily ANS: D The correct answer is a complete order; it contains the medication, dose, route, and time. QD is no longer an accepted abbreviation; it should be written out as “daily” or “every day.” The order of “20 mg daily” does not specify the route to be used. DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Table 7-7: Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations That Can Promote Medication Errors TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 4. A patient is given a drug for the first time and develops shortness of breath. The patient’s heart rate is 76 beats per minute, the respiratory rate is 20 breaths per minute, and the blood pressure is 120/70 mm Hg. The nurse checks a drug administration manual to make sure the correct dose was given and learns that some patients taking the drug experience shortness of breath. The nurse will contact the provider to report a(n): a. allergic reaction. b. idiosyncratic effect. c. iatrogenic response. d. side effect. ANS: D A side effect is a secondary drug effect produced at therapeutic doses. This patient received the correct dose of the drug and developed shortness of breath which, in this case, is a drug side effect. To experience an allergic reaction, a patient must have prior exposure to a drug and sensitization of the immune response. An idiosyncratic effect results from a genetic predisposition to an uncommon drug response. An iatrogenic response occurs when a drug causes symptoms of a disease. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Definitions | Side Effect | Toxicity | Allergic Reaction | Idiosyncratic Effect | Iatrogenic Disease TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 5. A nurse is preparing to give an antibiotic to a patient who reports being allergic to antibiotics. Before giving the medication, it is important for the nurse to do what? a. Ask whether the patient has taken this antibiotic for other infections. b. Question the patient about allergies to other medications. c. Obtain a history of other reactions to other drugs. d. Request an order for an antihistamine. ANS: A The nurse needs to assess whether the patient is truly allergic to this drug. Allergic reactions require previous exposure to the drug, so the nurse should ask whether the patient has taken this antibiotic before. Obtaining a history of drug allergies and of reactions to medications also is important, but not as important as finding out about possible allergic reactions to a drug about to be given. Antihistamines sometimes are given when patients must take a drug to which they are allergic. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Definitions | Allergic Reaction TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 6. A nurse is preparing to administer a drug. Upon reading the medication guide, the nurse notes that the drug has been linked to symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in some patients. What will the nurse do? a. Ask the patient to report these symptoms, which are known to be teratogenic effects. b. Observe the patient closely for such symptoms and prepare to treat them if needed. c. Request an order to evaluate the patient’s genetic predisposition to this effect. d. Warn the patient about these effects and provide reassurance that this is expected. ANS: B A drug that causes diseaselike symptoms is known to be iatrogenic. Nurses should be prepared for this possibility and should be prepared to withdraw the drug if necessary and treat the symptoms. Such effects are not teratogenic. Patients with a genetic predisposition to respond differently to drugs are known to have idiosyncratic effects. Iatrogenic effects, even when known, are not typically expected side effects. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Definitions | Side Effect | Idiosyncratic Effect | Iatrogenic Disease TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 7. A nurse provides teaching to a patient who will begin taking a drug with a known risk of hepatotoxicity. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further teaching? a. “I should avoid taking acetaminophen while taking this drug.” b. “I will need periodic evaluation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels.” c. “If I experience nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, I should call my provider.” d. “Routine testing and early detection of problems will prevent liver failure.” ANS: D Drug-induced liver injury can progress from undetectable to advanced between routine tests; therefore, routine testing does not always prevent liver failure. Patients taking known hepatotoxic drugs should avoid other drugs, such as acetaminophen, that can cause liver damage. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are liver enzymes that are routinely monitored when a patient is taking hepatotoxic drugs. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are all signs of liver injury and should be reported. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Hepatotoxic Drugs TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential 8. A patient is taking sertraline (Zoloft) for depression, and the provider orders azithromycin (Zithromax) to treat an infection. What will the nurse do? a. Contact the provider to discuss an alternative to azithromycin. b. Request an order for a different antidepressant medication. c. Request an order to reduce the dose of sertraline. d. Withhold the sertraline while giving the azithromycin. ANS: A Both sertraline and azithromycin prolong the QT interval, and when taken together, they increase the risk of fatal dysrhythmias. Because the antibiotic is used for a short time, it is correct to consider using a different antibiotic. Reducing the dose of sertraline does not alter the combined effects of two drugs that lengthen the QT interval. Sertraline should not be stopped abruptly, so withholding it during antibiotic therapy is not indicated. DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: QT Interval Drugs | Table 7-2: Drugs That Prolong the QT Interval, Induce Torsades de Pointes, or Both TOP: Nursing Process: Planning MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies 9. A patient is taking a drug that has known toxic side effects. What will the nurse do? a. Discontinue the drug at the first signs of toxicity. b. Ensure that complete blood counts are ordered periodically. c. Monitor the function of all organs potentially affected by the drug. d. Teach the patient how to treat the symptoms if they develop. ANS: C When a drug is administered that has known toxic side effects, the nurse is responsible for monitoring all organ systems potentially affected by the drug. Not all toxic side effects warrant discontinuation of the drug, and a nurse cannot discontinue a drug without an order from the provider. Complete blood counts are indicated only for drugs that affect the blood. Some drugs need to be discontinued, so teaching a patient to treat symptoms is not co