NURS 5359 Psychopharmacology Exam 3
Questions and Answers| Updated| Pass
Guaranteed
1. Which neurotransmitter system is most directly enhanced by benzodiazepines?
A. Dopamine
B. GABA
C. Glutamate
D. Acetylcholine
Correct Answer: B. GABA
Rationale: Benzodiazepines enhance the inhibitory effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
at the GABA-A receptor. This produces anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and
muscle-relaxant effects.
2. Which medication is classified as a benzodiazepine?
A. Buspirone
B. Sertraline
C. Lorazepam
D. Duloxetine
Correct Answer: C. Lorazepam
Rationale: Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine commonly used for anxiety and acute agitation and
sometimes for seizure-related indications. Buspirone is a nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytic, while
sertraline and duloxetine are antidepressants.
3. A patient taking lorazepam reports increasing daytime sedation. What is the most
appropriate clinical concern?
A. Excessive cholinergic activity
B. CNS depression
C. Serotonin deficiency
D. Dopamine excess
Correct Answer: B. CNS depression
,Rationale: Benzodiazepines can cause sedation, impaired coordination, slowed reaction time,
and CNS depression. The risk is substantially greater when combined with opioids, alcohol, or
other CNS depressants.
4. Which medication is generally considered a first-line nonbenzodiazepine medication for
generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Buspirone
B. Phenobarbital
C. Haloperidol
D. Lithium
Correct Answer: A. Buspirone
Rationale: Buspirone is an anxiolytic that primarily acts as a 5-HT1A partial agonist. Unlike
benzodiazepines, it has little potential for abuse and does not produce the same degree of
sedation or physical dependence.
5. What is an important characteristic of buspirone?
A. It produces immediate relief of panic within minutes
B. It has delayed onset of therapeutic benefit
C. It is a potent opioid antagonist
D. It produces severe respiratory depression in therapeutic doses
Correct Answer: B. It has delayed onset of therapeutic benefit
Rationale: Buspirone does not provide the rapid anxiolysis associated with benzodiazepines. Its
therapeutic effect develops over time, making it more appropriate for ongoing anxiety
management than acute anxiety crises.
6. Which instruction is most important for a patient prescribed a benzodiazepine?
A. Combine it with alcohol to increase relaxation
B. Stop it abruptly when anxiety improves
C. Avoid driving until the individual response is known
D. Double the dose if anxiety returns
Correct Answer: C. Avoid driving until the individual response is known
,Rationale: Benzodiazepines can impair alertness, coordination, reaction time, and judgment.
Patients should be cautioned about driving and operating machinery, particularly when
beginning treatment or changing doses.
7. Abrupt discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine therapy can result in:
A. Severe withdrawal symptoms
B. Permanent dopamine depletion
C. Immediate serotonin syndrome
D. Agranulocytosis
Correct Answer: A. Severe withdrawal symptoms
Rationale: Physical dependence can develop with prolonged benzodiazepine use. Abrupt
discontinuation can cause anxiety, insomnia, tremor, autonomic symptoms, perceptual
disturbances, and potentially seizures. Tapering is generally used to reduce withdrawal risk.
8. Which medication combination creates particularly high risk for respiratory depression?
A. Sertraline + buspirone
B. Opioid + benzodiazepine
C. Lithium + lamotrigine
D. Fluoxetine + bupropion
Correct Answer: B. Opioid + benzodiazepine
Rationale: Both opioids and benzodiazepines depress the CNS. Their combination can
substantially increase the risk of profound sedation, respiratory depression, overdose, and
death.
9. Which medication is commonly used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression?
A. Flumazenil
B. Naloxone
C. Buspirone
D. Hydroxyzine
Correct Answer: B. Naloxone
, Rationale: Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to rapidly reverse opioid-induced respiratory
depression. It can precipitate acute withdrawal in an opioid-dependent person, but restoring
adequate ventilation takes priority during an overdose.
10. A patient receiving an opioid becomes difficult to arouse and has slow respirations. What
is the priority?
A. Administer another opioid dose
B. Assess and support airway and breathing and administer naloxone when indicated
C. Give a benzodiazepine
D. Encourage the patient to sleep
Correct Answer: B. Assess and support airway and breathing and administer naloxone when
indicated
Rationale: Respiratory depression is a life-threatening opioid toxicity. Immediate attention to
airway and ventilation and appropriate naloxone administration are priorities.
11. Which opioid effect commonly develops with continued use?
A. Tolerance
B. Permanent immunity
C. Increased respiratory stimulation
D. Complete elimination of constipation
Correct Answer: A. Tolerance
Rationale: With repeated opioid exposure, tolerance can develop to some effects, meaning
greater doses may be required to achieve the same pharmacologic effect. Importantly, tolerance
does not eliminate overdose risk.
12. Which adverse effect of opioids is particularly important during chronic treatment?
A. Constipation
B. Increased bowel motility
C. Severe hypertension in every patient
D. Excessive salivation
Correct Answer: A. Constipation
Questions and Answers| Updated| Pass
Guaranteed
1. Which neurotransmitter system is most directly enhanced by benzodiazepines?
A. Dopamine
B. GABA
C. Glutamate
D. Acetylcholine
Correct Answer: B. GABA
Rationale: Benzodiazepines enhance the inhibitory effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
at the GABA-A receptor. This produces anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and
muscle-relaxant effects.
2. Which medication is classified as a benzodiazepine?
A. Buspirone
B. Sertraline
C. Lorazepam
D. Duloxetine
Correct Answer: C. Lorazepam
Rationale: Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine commonly used for anxiety and acute agitation and
sometimes for seizure-related indications. Buspirone is a nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytic, while
sertraline and duloxetine are antidepressants.
3. A patient taking lorazepam reports increasing daytime sedation. What is the most
appropriate clinical concern?
A. Excessive cholinergic activity
B. CNS depression
C. Serotonin deficiency
D. Dopamine excess
Correct Answer: B. CNS depression
,Rationale: Benzodiazepines can cause sedation, impaired coordination, slowed reaction time,
and CNS depression. The risk is substantially greater when combined with opioids, alcohol, or
other CNS depressants.
4. Which medication is generally considered a first-line nonbenzodiazepine medication for
generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Buspirone
B. Phenobarbital
C. Haloperidol
D. Lithium
Correct Answer: A. Buspirone
Rationale: Buspirone is an anxiolytic that primarily acts as a 5-HT1A partial agonist. Unlike
benzodiazepines, it has little potential for abuse and does not produce the same degree of
sedation or physical dependence.
5. What is an important characteristic of buspirone?
A. It produces immediate relief of panic within minutes
B. It has delayed onset of therapeutic benefit
C. It is a potent opioid antagonist
D. It produces severe respiratory depression in therapeutic doses
Correct Answer: B. It has delayed onset of therapeutic benefit
Rationale: Buspirone does not provide the rapid anxiolysis associated with benzodiazepines. Its
therapeutic effect develops over time, making it more appropriate for ongoing anxiety
management than acute anxiety crises.
6. Which instruction is most important for a patient prescribed a benzodiazepine?
A. Combine it with alcohol to increase relaxation
B. Stop it abruptly when anxiety improves
C. Avoid driving until the individual response is known
D. Double the dose if anxiety returns
Correct Answer: C. Avoid driving until the individual response is known
,Rationale: Benzodiazepines can impair alertness, coordination, reaction time, and judgment.
Patients should be cautioned about driving and operating machinery, particularly when
beginning treatment or changing doses.
7. Abrupt discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine therapy can result in:
A. Severe withdrawal symptoms
B. Permanent dopamine depletion
C. Immediate serotonin syndrome
D. Agranulocytosis
Correct Answer: A. Severe withdrawal symptoms
Rationale: Physical dependence can develop with prolonged benzodiazepine use. Abrupt
discontinuation can cause anxiety, insomnia, tremor, autonomic symptoms, perceptual
disturbances, and potentially seizures. Tapering is generally used to reduce withdrawal risk.
8. Which medication combination creates particularly high risk for respiratory depression?
A. Sertraline + buspirone
B. Opioid + benzodiazepine
C. Lithium + lamotrigine
D. Fluoxetine + bupropion
Correct Answer: B. Opioid + benzodiazepine
Rationale: Both opioids and benzodiazepines depress the CNS. Their combination can
substantially increase the risk of profound sedation, respiratory depression, overdose, and
death.
9. Which medication is commonly used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression?
A. Flumazenil
B. Naloxone
C. Buspirone
D. Hydroxyzine
Correct Answer: B. Naloxone
, Rationale: Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to rapidly reverse opioid-induced respiratory
depression. It can precipitate acute withdrawal in an opioid-dependent person, but restoring
adequate ventilation takes priority during an overdose.
10. A patient receiving an opioid becomes difficult to arouse and has slow respirations. What
is the priority?
A. Administer another opioid dose
B. Assess and support airway and breathing and administer naloxone when indicated
C. Give a benzodiazepine
D. Encourage the patient to sleep
Correct Answer: B. Assess and support airway and breathing and administer naloxone when
indicated
Rationale: Respiratory depression is a life-threatening opioid toxicity. Immediate attention to
airway and ventilation and appropriate naloxone administration are priorities.
11. Which opioid effect commonly develops with continued use?
A. Tolerance
B. Permanent immunity
C. Increased respiratory stimulation
D. Complete elimination of constipation
Correct Answer: A. Tolerance
Rationale: With repeated opioid exposure, tolerance can develop to some effects, meaning
greater doses may be required to achieve the same pharmacologic effect. Importantly, tolerance
does not eliminate overdose risk.
12. Which adverse effect of opioids is particularly important during chronic treatment?
A. Constipation
B. Increased bowel motility
C. Severe hypertension in every patient
D. Excessive salivation
Correct Answer: A. Constipation
