Karch’s Focus on Nursing
Pharmacology
9th Edition
Author(s)Rebecca G. Tucker
TEST BANK
Question 1
A nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a patient for
the first time. The nurse reviews the drug handbook and notes
the drug has a half-life of 24 hours. The patient asks, "What
does that mean for me?" What is the nurse's best response?
A. "It means the drug will be completely out of your system in
24 hours."
,B. "It means it takes 24 hours for the drug to reach its peak
effectiveness."
C. "It means it takes about 24 hours for half of the drug to be
eliminated from your body."
D. "It means you will need to take the drug every 24 hours to
maintain a steady level."
Correct Answer
C. The half-life of a drug is the time required for the serum
concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%. This is a
fundamental pharmacokinetic concept that influences dosing
intervals .
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. This describes complete elimination, which takes
approximately five half-lives.
B. This describes the time to peak concentration, not the half-
life.
D. While half-life can help determine dosing frequency, it does
not strictly dictate that a drug must be given every 24 hours.
Learning Objective
Apply the pharmacokinetic principle of drug half-life to patient
education.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Apply
,Difficulty
Easy
NCLEX Client Needs Category
Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral
Therapies
NCJMM Clinical Judgment Skill
Provide Education
Question 2
A nurse is performing an assessment on an older adult patient
who is taking multiple medications. Which age-related
physiological change has the most significant impact on drug
distribution, potentially increasing the risk of toxicity?
A. Decreased gastric motility
B. Increased body fat percentage
C. Decreased hepatic blood flow
D. Reduced glomerular filtration rate
Correct Answer
B. In older adults, an increase in body fat relative to lean body
mass means that lipid-soluble drugs will have a larger volume of
distribution, leading to a longer half-life and prolonged action,
which increases the risk of toxicity.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Decreased gastric motility affects absorption, not
, distribution.
C. Decreased hepatic blood flow affects metabolism, not
distribution.
D. Reduced glomerular filtration affects excretion, not
distribution.
Learning Objective
Analyze the effect of age-related physiological changes on the
pharmacokinetics of drug distribution.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Analyze
Difficulty
Moderate
NCLEX Client Needs Category
Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral
Therapies
NCJMM Clinical Judgment Skill
Analyze Cues
Question 3
A patient is prescribed a medication that is 95% protein-bound.
The nurse is reviewing the patient's chart and notes a low
serum albumin level. Which pharmacokinetic phase will be
most affected by this lab value, and what is the primary nursing
concern?
Pharmacology
9th Edition
Author(s)Rebecca G. Tucker
TEST BANK
Question 1
A nurse is preparing to administer a medication to a patient for
the first time. The nurse reviews the drug handbook and notes
the drug has a half-life of 24 hours. The patient asks, "What
does that mean for me?" What is the nurse's best response?
A. "It means the drug will be completely out of your system in
24 hours."
,B. "It means it takes 24 hours for the drug to reach its peak
effectiveness."
C. "It means it takes about 24 hours for half of the drug to be
eliminated from your body."
D. "It means you will need to take the drug every 24 hours to
maintain a steady level."
Correct Answer
C. The half-life of a drug is the time required for the serum
concentration of a drug to decrease by 50%. This is a
fundamental pharmacokinetic concept that influences dosing
intervals .
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. This describes complete elimination, which takes
approximately five half-lives.
B. This describes the time to peak concentration, not the half-
life.
D. While half-life can help determine dosing frequency, it does
not strictly dictate that a drug must be given every 24 hours.
Learning Objective
Apply the pharmacokinetic principle of drug half-life to patient
education.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Apply
,Difficulty
Easy
NCLEX Client Needs Category
Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral
Therapies
NCJMM Clinical Judgment Skill
Provide Education
Question 2
A nurse is performing an assessment on an older adult patient
who is taking multiple medications. Which age-related
physiological change has the most significant impact on drug
distribution, potentially increasing the risk of toxicity?
A. Decreased gastric motility
B. Increased body fat percentage
C. Decreased hepatic blood flow
D. Reduced glomerular filtration rate
Correct Answer
B. In older adults, an increase in body fat relative to lean body
mass means that lipid-soluble drugs will have a larger volume of
distribution, leading to a longer half-life and prolonged action,
which increases the risk of toxicity.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. Decreased gastric motility affects absorption, not
, distribution.
C. Decreased hepatic blood flow affects metabolism, not
distribution.
D. Reduced glomerular filtration affects excretion, not
distribution.
Learning Objective
Analyze the effect of age-related physiological changes on the
pharmacokinetics of drug distribution.
Bloom's Taxonomy
Analyze
Difficulty
Moderate
NCLEX Client Needs Category
Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral
Therapies
NCJMM Clinical Judgment Skill
Analyze Cues
Question 3
A patient is prescribed a medication that is 95% protein-bound.
The nurse is reviewing the patient's chart and notes a low
serum albumin level. Which pharmacokinetic phase will be
most affected by this lab value, and what is the primary nursing
concern?
