Test Bank for Abrams’ Clinical Drug Therapy: Rationales for Nursing Practice, 13th Edition
(Frandsen, 2025), Chapter 1-61 | All Chapters
A patient who is experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath is brought to the emergency
department. The nurse assesses a heart rate of 98 beats per minute, bilateral lung crackles, and an
oxygen saturation of 93%. What drug will the nurse expect to administer initially to this patient?
a. Albuterol
b. Aspirin
c. Nitroglycerin
d. Oxygen - (answer)d. Oxygen
The patient has signs of pulmonary edema, which can cause chest pain, crackles, and shortness of
breath along with compensatory tachycardia and low oxygen saturations. The initial drug of choice is
oxygen, which can minimize chest pain and open up the alveoli. The other drugs are given for specific
underlying causes and may be necessary after the patient is evaluated further.
A patient with suspected myocardial infarction is seen in the emergency department. The nurse is
preparing to administer 325 mg of aspirin. The nurse will perform which action?
a. Administer an enteric-coated tablet.
b. Ask the patient to chew the tablet.
c. Give the tablet with a small sip of water.
d. Place the tablet under the patients tongue. - (answer)b. Ask the patient to chew the tablet.
To speed the absorption of aspirin, in a cardiac emergency, the patient should chew the tablet when
given. An enteric-coated tablet will slow the absorption. Giving the aspirin with water or sublingually will
slow the absorption rate.
A patient with angina has been given 0.4 mg of nitroglycerin SL. The patient reports continued chest
pain 5 minutes later. The nurse assesses a heart rate of 84 beats per minute and a blood pressure of
88/68 mm Hg. The nurse will take which action?
a. Administer 0.4 mg of nitroglycerin SL.
b. Administer 0.3 mg of nitroglycerin SL.
c. Give nitroglycerin by translingual spray.
, Test Bank for Abrams’ Clinical Drug Therapy: Rationales for Nursing Practice, 13th Edition
(Frandsen, 2025), Chapter 1-61 | All Chapters
d. Notify the provider of the patients vital signs. - (answer)d. Notify the provider of the patients vital
signs.
Nitroglycerin should be held if the patient has a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg. The nurse
should notify the provider.
A patient with congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema is experiencing chest pain. The patient has
an order for morphine sulfate IV 4 mg every 5 to 30 minutes PRN until chest pain is relieved. The last
dose of 4 mg was 15 minutes prior, and the patient is complaining of chest pain and exhibiting increased
work of breathing. The nurse notes a heart rate of 82 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 18 breaths
per minute, and a blood pressure of 135/88 mm Hg. What will the nurse do next?
a. Administer morphine sulfate IV 4 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
b. Administer naloxone (Narcan) to reverse respiratory depression.
c. Request an order for morphine sulfate IV 2 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
d. Hold the next dose and notify the provider of the patients symptoms. - (answer)a. Administer
morphine sulfate IV 4 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
Morphine acts to relieve pain, dilate venous vessels, and decrease the workload on the heart to treat
acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema and can relieve the dyspnea caused by this condition. The nurse
should administer 4 mg since the patients pain has not abated. Respiratory depression would be
characterized by a decreased respiratory rate.
A patient is brought to the emergency department after coming in contact with organophosphate
insecticides while at work. The nurse will expect to administer which medication to reverse the toxic
effects of this substance?
a. Atropine sulfate
b. Diazepam
c. Epinephrine
d. Flumazenil - (answer)a. Atropine sulfate
(Frandsen, 2025), Chapter 1-61 | All Chapters
A patient who is experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath is brought to the emergency
department. The nurse assesses a heart rate of 98 beats per minute, bilateral lung crackles, and an
oxygen saturation of 93%. What drug will the nurse expect to administer initially to this patient?
a. Albuterol
b. Aspirin
c. Nitroglycerin
d. Oxygen - (answer)d. Oxygen
The patient has signs of pulmonary edema, which can cause chest pain, crackles, and shortness of
breath along with compensatory tachycardia and low oxygen saturations. The initial drug of choice is
oxygen, which can minimize chest pain and open up the alveoli. The other drugs are given for specific
underlying causes and may be necessary after the patient is evaluated further.
A patient with suspected myocardial infarction is seen in the emergency department. The nurse is
preparing to administer 325 mg of aspirin. The nurse will perform which action?
a. Administer an enteric-coated tablet.
b. Ask the patient to chew the tablet.
c. Give the tablet with a small sip of water.
d. Place the tablet under the patients tongue. - (answer)b. Ask the patient to chew the tablet.
To speed the absorption of aspirin, in a cardiac emergency, the patient should chew the tablet when
given. An enteric-coated tablet will slow the absorption. Giving the aspirin with water or sublingually will
slow the absorption rate.
A patient with angina has been given 0.4 mg of nitroglycerin SL. The patient reports continued chest
pain 5 minutes later. The nurse assesses a heart rate of 84 beats per minute and a blood pressure of
88/68 mm Hg. The nurse will take which action?
a. Administer 0.4 mg of nitroglycerin SL.
b. Administer 0.3 mg of nitroglycerin SL.
c. Give nitroglycerin by translingual spray.
, Test Bank for Abrams’ Clinical Drug Therapy: Rationales for Nursing Practice, 13th Edition
(Frandsen, 2025), Chapter 1-61 | All Chapters
d. Notify the provider of the patients vital signs. - (answer)d. Notify the provider of the patients vital
signs.
Nitroglycerin should be held if the patient has a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg. The nurse
should notify the provider.
A patient with congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema is experiencing chest pain. The patient has
an order for morphine sulfate IV 4 mg every 5 to 30 minutes PRN until chest pain is relieved. The last
dose of 4 mg was 15 minutes prior, and the patient is complaining of chest pain and exhibiting increased
work of breathing. The nurse notes a heart rate of 82 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 18 breaths
per minute, and a blood pressure of 135/88 mm Hg. What will the nurse do next?
a. Administer morphine sulfate IV 4 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
b. Administer naloxone (Narcan) to reverse respiratory depression.
c. Request an order for morphine sulfate IV 2 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
d. Hold the next dose and notify the provider of the patients symptoms. - (answer)a. Administer
morphine sulfate IV 4 mg over 1 to 5 minutes.
Morphine acts to relieve pain, dilate venous vessels, and decrease the workload on the heart to treat
acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema and can relieve the dyspnea caused by this condition. The nurse
should administer 4 mg since the patients pain has not abated. Respiratory depression would be
characterized by a decreased respiratory rate.
A patient is brought to the emergency department after coming in contact with organophosphate
insecticides while at work. The nurse will expect to administer which medication to reverse the toxic
effects of this substance?
a. Atropine sulfate
b. Diazepam
c. Epinephrine
d. Flumazenil - (answer)a. Atropine sulfate
