C HAPTER 26: C OAGULATION M ODIFIER
D RUGS
Lilley: Pharmacology and the Nursing Process, 10th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient will be receiving a thrombol ytic drug as part of the treatment for
acute m yocardial infarction. The nurse explains to the patient that this
drug is used for which purpose?
a. To relieve chest pain
b. To prevent further clot formation
c. To dissolve the clot in the coronary artery
d. To control bleeding in the coronary vessels
ANS: C
Thrombol ytic drugs lyse, or dissolve, thrombi. They ar e not used to
prevent further clot formation or to control bleeding. As a result of
dissolving of the thrombi, chest pain may be relieved, but that is not
the primary purpose of thrombol ytic therapy.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
2. A patient is receiving heparin therapy as part of the treatment for a
pulmonary embolism. The nurse monitors the results of which laboratory
test to check the drug ’s effectiveness?
, a. Bleeding times
b. Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
c. Prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/ INR)
d. Vitamin K levels
ANS: B
Ongoing aPTT values are used to monitor heparin therapy. PT/INR is
used to monitor warfarin therapy. The other two options are not used to
monitor anticoagulant therapy.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
3. The nurse notes in the patient‘s medication orders that the patient will be
starting anticoagulant therapy. What is the primary goal of anticoagulant
therapy?
a. Stabilizing an existing thrombus
b. Dissolving an existing thrombus
c. Preventing thrombus formation
d. Dilating the vessel around a clot
ANS: C
Anticoagulants prevent thrombus formation but do not dissolve or
stabilize an existing thrombus, nor do they dilate vessels around a clot.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Im plementation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
D RUGS
Lilley: Pharmacology and the Nursing Process, 10th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient will be receiving a thrombol ytic drug as part of the treatment for
acute m yocardial infarction. The nurse explains to the patient that this
drug is used for which purpose?
a. To relieve chest pain
b. To prevent further clot formation
c. To dissolve the clot in the coronary artery
d. To control bleeding in the coronary vessels
ANS: C
Thrombol ytic drugs lyse, or dissolve, thrombi. They ar e not used to
prevent further clot formation or to control bleeding. As a result of
dissolving of the thrombi, chest pain may be relieved, but that is not
the primary purpose of thrombol ytic therapy.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
2. A patient is receiving heparin therapy as part of the treatment for a
pulmonary embolism. The nurse monitors the results of which laboratory
test to check the drug ’s effectiveness?
, a. Bleeding times
b. Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
c. Prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/ INR)
d. Vitamin K levels
ANS: B
Ongoing aPTT values are used to monitor heparin therapy. PT/INR is
used to monitor warfarin therapy. The other two options are not used to
monitor anticoagulant therapy.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
3. The nurse notes in the patient‘s medication orders that the patient will be
starting anticoagulant therapy. What is the primary goal of anticoagulant
therapy?
a. Stabilizing an existing thrombus
b. Dissolving an existing thrombus
c. Preventing thrombus formation
d. Dilating the vessel around a clot
ANS: C
Anticoagulants prevent thrombus formation but do not dissolve or
stabilize an existing thrombus, nor do they dilate vessels around a clot.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Im plementation
MSC: NC LEX: Physiological Integrit y: Pharmacological and
Parenteral Therapies
