WGU D116 PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS UPDATED () (VERIFED ANSWERS)

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WGU D116 PHARMACOLOGY REVIEW EXAM QUESTI
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ONS AND ANSWERS UPDATED (2024/2025) (VERIF
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IED ANSWERS) N




An advanced practice registered nurse has diagnosed a 44-year-
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old male with depression. A plan is developed to start treatment with medi
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cation. The patient has a history of sexual dysfunction and is concerned abo
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ut taking medication that may worsen this condition.
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Which antidepressant has the benefit of enhancing libido? -
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ANS ✓YES Bupropion
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Correct! Bupropion does not cause sexual dysfunction. This will help the pa
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tient with a history of sexual dysfunction. This will enhance the patient's li
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bido, which will help with both depression and sexual dysfunction.
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A patient is wheezing and short of breath. The nurse assesses a heart rate o
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f 88 beats per minute, a respiratory rate of 24 breaths per minute, and a bl
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ood pressure of 124/78 mm Hg. The prescriber orders a nonspecific beta-
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agonist medication. n



Besides evaluating the patient for a reduction in respiratory distress, the n
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urse should monitor for which side effect? - ANS ✓YES Tachycardia
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Correct! Beta- n


agonists are used for asthma because of their beta2 effects on bronchial sm
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ooth muscle, causing dilation. Beta1 effects cause tachycardia and hyperten
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sion. Beta receptors do not exert effects on the bladder.
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A patient is experiencing toxic side effects from atropine, including deliriu
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m and hallucinations. Which medication should the provider administer? -
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ANS ✓YES Physostigmine
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Correct! Physostigmine is the drug of choice for treating poisoning from atr
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opine and other drugs that cause muscarinic blockade. Donepezil is used to
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ntreat Alzheimer disease. Edrophonium is used to distinguish between a my
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asthenic crisis and a cholinesterase inhibitor overdose. Neostigmine does n
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ot cross the blood-
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brain barrier and would not effectively treat this patient's central nervous
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system (CNS) symptoms. n n




A patient brought to the emergency department requires sutures. The pres
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criber orders a local anesthetic with epinephrine.
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The epinephrine is ordered to ___________. -
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ANS ✓allow a reduced dose of the anesthetic
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Correct! Epinephrine prolongs absorption of the anesthetic because it is an
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alpha1 agonist. It is frequently combined with a local anesthetic for this pu
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rpose so the amount of anesthetic required may be reduced. Local anesthet
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ics do not induce hypertension; therefore, epinephrine would not be neede
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d to prevent it. Epinephrine does not act as an antiemetic and would not re
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duce anesthetic- n


induced nausea. Epinephrine is not used to reduce the pain of an injection.
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A patient has been diagnosed with Parkinson disease (PD) and begins treat
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ment with carbidopa. After several months of therapy, the patient reports n
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o change in symptoms.
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As the provider, you should do which of the following? -
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ANS ✓Increase the dose of carbidopa
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Discuss the "on-off" phenomenon n n n



Reevaluate the diagnosis n n



NO Add a dopamine agonist
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Incorrect. Adding a dopamine agonist is not indicated.
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A patient who is taking oral contraceptives begins taking valproic acid for s
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eizures. After a week of therapy with valproic acid, the patient tells the nur
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se that she is experiencing nausea.
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What should the nurse do? - n n n n n


ANS ✓YES Ask the patient if she is taking the valproic acid with food because taki
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ng the drug on an empty stomach can cause gastrointestinal side effects
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Correct! Gastrointestinal effects, including nausea, vomiting, and indigestio
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n, are common with valproic acid and can be minimized by taking the drug
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with food or using an enteric-
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coated product. Hyperammonemia can occur when valproic acid is combin
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ed with topiramate. Signs of pregnancy usually do not occur within a week,
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so this is less likely. Hepatotoxicity is a rare adverse effect.
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A patient with cerebral palsy who has been receiving baclofen via gastrosto
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my tube for three months is admitted to the hospital for evaluation of new-
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onset seizures. n



What might you suspect to be the cause of these seizures? -
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ANS ✓YES Missed doses of baclofen
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Correct! Baclofen does not appear to cause physical dependence, but abrup
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t discontinuation has been associated with adverse reactions. Abrupt withd
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rawal of oral baclofen can cause visual hallucinations, paranoid ideation, a
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nd seizures and should be considered when a patient develops these sympt
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oms. Seizures are not a symptom of baclofen toxicity.
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A nurse is preparing a patient to go home from the emergency department
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after receiving sutures for a laceration on one hand. The provider used lido
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caine with epinephrine as a local anesthetic.
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Which symptom in this patient causes the most concern? -
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ANS ✓YES Nervousness and tachycardia
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Correct! Absorption of the vasoconstrictor can cause systemic effects, inclu
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ding nervousness and tachycardia. If severe, alpha- and beta-
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adrenergic antagonists can be given. Local anesthetics are nonselective mo
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difiers of neuronal function and can block motor neurons, so it is expected
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that patients may have difficulty with movement. The sensation of pressure
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nalso is affected and is an expected effect. As the local anesthetic wears off, t
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he sensation of pain will return.
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A patient who has recurrent migraine headaches is prescribed sumatriptan
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. Which aspect of this patient's history is of concern when taking this drug?
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- ANS ✓Coronary artery disease
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Adverse events include coronary vasospasm.
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Incorrect. There is no contraindication for asthma, diabetes, or renal disea
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se.


A patient who has been taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) for d
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epression for several months tells the provider that the medication has not
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helped with symptoms. You plan to switch the patient to an SSRI.
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What should you instruct the nurse to teach this patient? -
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ANS ✓YES "Stop taking the MAOI two weeks before starting the SSRI."
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Correct! MAOIs increase serotonin receptor (5-
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HT) availability, thus greatly increasing the risk of serotonin syndrome. MA
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OIs should be withdrawn at least 14 days before an SSRI is started. An SSRI
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should never be given at the same time as an MAOI. It is not necessary to w
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ait five weeks before starting an SSRI.
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A patient is admitted to a hospital for treatment for first-
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time symptoms of mania and is exhibiting euphoric mania.
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Which medication should you order? - ANS ✓YES Lithium
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Correct! In almost all cases of mania, divalproex sodium is the drug of choic
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e, except for euphoric mania symptoms. Lithium is used to treat euphoric
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mania. Olanzapine and risperidone are used to treat other symptoms that a
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re associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
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A patient is brought to the emergency department with shortness of breath
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, a respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute, intercostal retractions, and fr
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othy, pink sputum. n n



Which drug should the provider administer for this patient? -
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ANS ✓YES Furosemide
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Correct! Furosemide, a potent diuretic, is used when rapid or massive mobi
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lization of fluids is needed. This patient shows severe signs of congestive he
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