APEA 3P Exam Prep - Health Promotion
Questions with CorrectAnswers and
Explanations
A 58-year-old patient has an annual exam. A fecal occult blood test was
used to screen for colon cancer. Three were ordered on separate days.
The first test was positive; the last two were negative. How should the
nurse practitioner proceed?
Rescreen in one year.
Perform a fourth exam.
Examine him for
hemorrhoids. Refer him
for a colonoscopy.
A fecal occult blood test is performed multiple times on different days
because tumors don’t consistently excrete blood. The reason multiple tests
are performed isto increase the likelihood of identifying blood. The patient
needs to have a colonoscopy performed for examination of the colon. The
standard of practice is to refer all positive colon cancer screens for
colonoscopy.
A criterion for medication choice in an older adult is:
long half-life to prevent frequent
dosing. dosing of 3-4 times
daily.
pill color and shape for easy
identification.half- life less than 24
hours.
,Many factors go into prescribing for older adults. Some important safety
criteria include established efficacy, low adverse event profile, and half-
life less than 24 hours with no active metabolites. Active metabolites
would produce a longer effectof the drug in the patient.
Dosing of a medication three to four times daily invites dosing and
medication errors. Once- or twice-daily dosing is ideal. Pill color and
shape is never a criterion for prescribing. Patients who are cognitively able
will recognize the color, shape, and size of pills they take on a regular
basis.
, What should the nurse practitioner recommend to any elder taking
medications?Have someone check your medications prior to taking them
Questions with CorrectAnswers and
Explanations
A 58-year-old patient has an annual exam. A fecal occult blood test was
used to screen for colon cancer. Three were ordered on separate days.
The first test was positive; the last two were negative. How should the
nurse practitioner proceed?
Rescreen in one year.
Perform a fourth exam.
Examine him for
hemorrhoids. Refer him
for a colonoscopy.
A fecal occult blood test is performed multiple times on different days
because tumors don’t consistently excrete blood. The reason multiple tests
are performed isto increase the likelihood of identifying blood. The patient
needs to have a colonoscopy performed for examination of the colon. The
standard of practice is to refer all positive colon cancer screens for
colonoscopy.
A criterion for medication choice in an older adult is:
long half-life to prevent frequent
dosing. dosing of 3-4 times
daily.
pill color and shape for easy
identification.half- life less than 24
hours.
,Many factors go into prescribing for older adults. Some important safety
criteria include established efficacy, low adverse event profile, and half-
life less than 24 hours with no active metabolites. Active metabolites
would produce a longer effectof the drug in the patient.
Dosing of a medication three to four times daily invites dosing and
medication errors. Once- or twice-daily dosing is ideal. Pill color and
shape is never a criterion for prescribing. Patients who are cognitively able
will recognize the color, shape, and size of pills they take on a regular
basis.
, What should the nurse practitioner recommend to any elder taking
medications?Have someone check your medications prior to taking them
