NURS 6521 - Advanced Pharmacology

Mid-term Exam

1. Mrs. Shawn is a 68-year-old woman who prides herself in maintaining an active

lifestyle and a healthy diet that includes adequate fluid intake. However, Mrs.

Shawn states that she has experienced occasional constipation in recent

months. What remedy should be the nurse's first suggestion?

- BULK-FORMING (fiber) LAXATIVES

2. What critical piece of information is missing from the following medication order:

Amoxicillin 250 mg every 8 hours?

- Routes of Administration

3. The nurse practitioner orders Amoxicillin 250 mg/5 ml tid for 10 days? The nurse

practitioner would expect the pharmacist to fill the prescription bottle with how

many ml?

- 150 ml

4. A 77-year-old woman who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 89 lbs has been

admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of failure to thrive. What action should

the nurse prioritize when addressing the woman's apparent lack of nutrition?

- Assess the reasons behind the patient's poor nutritional

status

5. A 60-year-old African-American man lives with a number of chronic health

problems. Genetic factors are likely to influence his etiology and/or treatment of

- Hypertension

6. A 49-year-old woman has been diagnosed with myalgia. The physician has

recommended aspirin. The patient is concerned that the aspirin will upset her

stomach. The nurse will encourage the patient to...

- swallow the tablet with milk or food.

7. A patient has recently been prescribed a drug that treats his hypertension by

blocking the sympathetic receptors in his sympathetic nervous system. This

action is characteristic of

- an adrenergic antagonist

8. A patient is brought to the emergency department in hypertensive crisis.

Nitroprusside is administered intravenously. The patient experiences diaphoresis

and dizziness. Which of the following is the appropriate action by the nurse?

- Slow the rate of the infusion

9. A nurse is creating a plan of care for a 68-year-old woman with a recent

diagnosis of unstable angina and new prescription for nitroglycerin. Which of the

following nursing diagnoses should the nurse prioritize in the planning of this

patient's care?

- Acute Pain, Headache, related to adverse effects of drug therapy

10.A 53-year-old man has been treated for severe asthma for several years with

prednisone. Recently, his physician initiated alternate-day therapy for him. The

patient tells the nurse that he would rather take the medication every day to

prevent confusion. Which of the following would be the best response by the

nurse?

- This schedule allows rest periods so that adverse effects are

decreased but the anti-inflammatory effects continue.

11.A 70-year-old man who enjoys good health began taking low-dose aspirin

several months ago based on recommendations that he read in a magazine

article. During the man's most recent visit to his care provider, routine blood work

was ordered and the results indicated an unprecedented rise in the man's serum

creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. How should a nurse best

interpret these findings?

- The man may be experiencing nephrotoxic effects of aspirin

12.A nurse who provides care in a busy clinic is aware of the high incidence and

prevalence of hyperlipidemia and the consequent need for antihyperlipidemics in

many patients. Treatment of high cholesterol using statins would be

contraindicated in which of the following patients?

- An obese male client who is a heavy alcohol user and who has cirrhosis of

the liver

13.A woman with numerous chronic health problems has been diagnosed with a

benign gastric ulcer has begun treatment with ranitidine (Zantac). Which of the

following teaching points should the nurse provide to this patient?

- "Quitting smoking will significantly increase the chance that this

drug will heal your ulcer."

14.A 47-year-old woman has been diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma.

Pilocarpine drops are prescribed. The nurse's assessment reveals that the

patient has worn soft contact lenses for 15 years. The nurse will instruct the

patient to

- remove the contact lenses before applying the drops.

15.It is determined that a patient, who is in a hepatic coma, needs a laxative.

Lactulose is prescribed. Which of the following should the nurse monitor to

assess the efficacy of the lactulose therapy?

- Blood ammonia levels

16.A nurse is a member of a research team that is exploring unique differences in

responses to drugs that each individual possesses, based on genetic make-up.

This area of study is called

- pharmacodynamics.

17.A nurse has been invited to speak to a support group for persons with movement

disorders and their families. Which of the following statements by the nurse

addresses the chronic nature of these diseases and the relevant drug therapies?

- "Drugs do not cure these disorders; they instead enhance

quality of life."

18.A patient on 5-FU calls the clinic and reports that he has between five and seven

loose bowel movements daily. The nurse will instruct the patient to

- notify the clinic if the stools are black or if there is evidence of

blood.

19.An adult patient who has been diagnosed with a rectal tumor is scheduled to

begin treatment with cisplatin. The nurse has conducted patient teaching about

the possibility of nausea and vomiting. In order to reduce the patient's risk of

severe nausea, the nurse should

- administer a combination of antiemetics prior to the

administration of the drug.

20.A nurse is assessing a female patient who is taking diphenoxylate HCl with

atropine sulfate. Which of the following would lead the nurse to suspect that she

is experiencing an allergic reaction?

- Urticaria (hives)

21.Following an assessment by her primary care provider, a 70-year-old resident of

an assisted living facility has begun taking daily oral doses of levothyroxine.

Which of the following assessment findings should prompt the nurse to withhold

a scheduled dose of levothyroxine?

- The resident's apical heart rate is 112 beats/minute with a

regular rhythm

22.A 40-year-old woman with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia has been prescribed

cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) as an adjunct to her existing drug regimen. What

nursing diagnosis should the nurse prioritize when updating the nursing care plan

for this patient?

- Risk for Injury related to CNS depressant effects

23.A homeless man who is well known to care providers at the local hospital has

been admitted to the emergency department after having a seizure outside a

mall. The man is known to be a heavy alcohol user and is malnourished with a

very low body mass index. How are this patient's characteristics likely to

influence possible treatment with phenytoin?

- The patient's protein deficit will likely increase the levels of the

free drug in his blood.