Deck 3: Principles of Drug Action

Question 1

The nurse explains to a nursing student that monitoring plasma levels of medications lets the physician and other health care professionals monitor the drug's

A) action.
B) biotransformation.
C) efficacy.
D) interaction.

Answer 1

efficacy.

Question 2

The nurse would assess a client carefully for other signs of drug toxicity after noting development of which common manifestation of a drug-induced iatrogenic disease?

A) Gynecologic-reproductive disorder
B) Mammary gland dysplasia
C) Musculoskeletal degeneration
D) Blood dyscrasia

Answer 2

Blood dyscrasia

Question 3

Pharmaceutics refers to

A) the drug's ability to reach an appropriate concentration at the site of action.
B) the variation in the concentration of a drug after excretion.
C) the drug's therapeutic effects at its site of action.
D) the ways in which various drug forms influence pharmacokinetics.

Answer 3

the ways in which various drug forms influence pharmacokinetics.

Question 4

The client tells the nurse that choosing over-the-counter medications is so confusing because so many are available.When the client goes on to say that he likes products that have the fastest onset of action,the nurse recommends which of the following oral drug forms that is most rapidly absorbed?

A) Enteric-coated tablets
B) Powders
C) Capsules
D) Liquids

Question 5

The nurse begins a staff in-service update on drug therapy by stating that which of the following is the study of the mechanism of drug action on living tissue?

A) Pharmacodynamics
B) Pharmacology
C) Pharmacy
D) Pharmacogenetics

Question 6

Which of the following describes the process of the movement of drug molecules from the site of entry into the body?

A) Biotransformation
B) Distribution
C) Excretion
D) Absorption

Question 7

The nurse is reviewing the therapeutic drug index of a medication.In reading the therapeutic index for the selected drug,the nurse recalls that it represents a ratio between the lethal dose (LD)of the drug and the

A) peak dose (PD).
B) maximal dose (MD).
C) effective dose (ED).
D) trough dose (TD).

Question 8

A client,hearing reports that drug research has not paid enough attention to the differences in drug effects between men and women,asks the nurse why this is so important.The nurse should respond that results of drug studies could differ between men and women because of which of the following factors?

A) Body temperature varies between genders
B) Muscle mass is greater in women
C) Percentage of body fat differs between genders
D) Proven subjective factors exist in men

Question 9

Some of the general properties of drugs that are important for the nurse to understand include which of the following?

A) Drugs create new functions on tissues or organs
B) Drugs produce only desirable responses in the body
C) Drugs interact by combining with tissue receptors
D) Drugs have unwanted effects that are always unavoidable

Question 10

The nurse should suspect that drug tolerance is more likely to occur with a client taking which of the following types of drugs?

A) Antipyretics
B) Nonsteroidal drugs
C) Nitrates
D) Anesthetics

Question 11

The nurse would document which of the following manifestations as characteristic of a mild allergic reaction to a drug?

A) Diarrhea
B) Dysuria
C) Pruritus
D) Lymphadenopathy

Question 12

Which of the following substances is most likely to be absorbed in the intestines rather than in the stomach?

A) Sodium bicarbonate
B) Ascorbic acid
C) Salicylic acid
D) Glucose

Question 13

The nurse anticipates that a client with liver failure would most likely have problems with which of the following drug processes?

A) Excretion
B) Absorption
C) Biotransformation
D) Distribution

Question 14

An older adult client to whom the nurse administered a sedative-hypnotic several hours ago is now irritable and restless.The nurse concludes that this is most likely evidence of a(n)

A) allergic reaction.
B) teratogenic effect.
C) tachyphylactic reaction.
D) idiosyncratic response.

Question 15

Instructions to a client regarding self-administration of oral enteric-coated tablets should include which of the following statements?

A) "Avoid any other oral medicines while taking this drug."
B) "If swallowing this tablet is difficult,dissolve it in 3 ounces of orange juice."
C) "The tablet may be crushed if you have any difficulty taking it."
D) "To achieve best effect,take the tablet with at least 8 ounces of fluid."

Question 16

The nurse anticipates that a drug that affects the fetus during the second half of pregnancy or during delivery would require careful assessment for which of the following in the neonate?

A) Neurologic defects
B) Respiratory depression
C) Musculoskeletal weakness
D) Urinary dysfunction

Question 17

Drug antagonism is best defined as an effect of a drug

A) that leads to major physiologic-psychological dependence.
B) that is modified by the concurrent administration of another drug.
C) that cannot be metabolized before another dose is administered.
D) that leads to a decreased physiologic response when combined with another drug.

Question 18

During the first trimester of pregnancy,some drugs induce aberrant developmental effects during formation of the fetus' organs and tissues.This detrimental effect on the fetus is described as

A) iatrogenic.
B) carcinogenic.
C) teratogenic.
D) idiosyncratic.

Question 19

The nurse would request an order for a medication to be given by which of the following routes when the most rapid form of systemic response is needed?

A) Subcutaneous
B) Intrathecal
C) Intramuscular
D) Intravenous

Question 20

A new RN is about to administer a dose of medication previously ordered by the IM route to a client in shock.The nurse preceptor stops the RN,stating that the client in shock may not respond to IM medications because of which of the following client conditions?

A) Renal failure
B) Altered liver metabolism
C) Minimal peripheral circulation
D) Decreased urinary output

Question 21

Which of the following is a possible result of drug metabolism regarding hepatic biotransformation?

A) Alteration of the drug molecule to decrease renal excretion of the drug
B) Induction or inhibition of the liver metabolizing enzyme P450
C) Activation of an active substance to a prodrug
D) Conversion of active metabolites to an active drug

Question 22

Drug distribution results in which of the following?

A) Binding of drugs to plasma proteins
B) Reduced cardiac output with increased tissue binding
C) Movement of drugs from the body through the bile
D) Saturation of the drug into tissues with poor blood supply

Question 23

Which variable affects drug absorption?

A) The smaller the surface area,the more rapid its effects
B) A rich blood supply enhances absorption
C) The less soluble the drug,the greater the absorption
D) Ionized drugs diffuse readily across the cell membrane

Question 24

A client asks the nurse to crush a sustained-release capsule to make it easier to swallow.Instead,the nurse withholds the dose and calls the physician for an order for a different form.The nurse explains that the major reason for refusing to crush the sustained-release capsule is that,if crushed,the coated beads of the drugs could then result in

A) disintegration.
B) overdose.
C) malabsorption.
D) deterioration.

Question 25

Which type of drug administration bypasses the blood-brain barrier?

A) Parenteral
B) Intramuscular
C) Intrathecal
D) Epidural