Deck 38: Drugs Used to Treat Geriatric Patients

Question 1

Which of the following medications in elderly patients may cause ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity?

A) levodopa
B) thyroxin
C) aminoglycosides
D) carbamazepine

Answer 1

aminoglycosides

Question 2

Which of the following agents may cause renal toxicity in elderly patients?

A) vitamin D
B) digoxin
C) warfarin
D) cimetidine

Answer 2

vitamin D

Question 3

One of the adverse effects of thyroxine administration in elderly patients is:

A) ototoxicity
B) nephrotoxicity
C) respiratory depression
D) myocardial infarction

Answer 3

myocardial infarction

Question 4

Which of the following does NOT influence the way drug absorption changes as we age?

A) Altered nutritional habits
B) Greater use of OTC medications
C) Cognitive ability
D) Slower gastric emptying

Question 5

Elderly adults tend to have:

A) reduced total body water
B) decreased body fat
C) increased lean body mass
D) increased total body water

Question 6

In elderly patients, there may be an increase in a specific serum protein known as:

A) globulin
B) serotonin
C) albumin
D) glycoprotein

Question 7

Which of the following medications in elderly patients may cause hypotension?

A) thyroxine
B) cimetidine
C) thioridazine
D) levodopa

Question 8

After age 70, blood flow to the kidneys may decrease by as much as:

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 35%
D) 40%

Question 9

Yohimbe is a natural supplement widely taken to treat which of the following?

A) peptic ulcer
B) hypertension
C) erectile dysfunction
D) renal disease

Question 10

An indicator of the glomerular filtration rate is:

A) the urine protein test
B) the creatinine clearance test
C) the blood urea nitrogen
D) the microalbuminuria test

Question 11

If hepatic and renal functions are decreased, the half-life of a drug is prolonged, which may result in:

A) potentiation
B) increased sedative effects
C) drug toxicity
D) drug ineffectiveness

Question 12

Which of the following histamine-2 receptor blockers is NOT safe to be used by elderly patients?

A) nizatidine
B) famotidine
C) ranitidine
D) cimetidine

Question 13

Which of the following medications does NOT improve cognitive activity in some patients with Alzheimer's disease?

A) donepezil
B) carbamazepine
C) rivastigmine
D) galantamine

Question 14

Thiazide drugs used to treat hypertension in the elderly do NOT cause which of the following?

A) hyperglycemia
B) hyperuricemia
C) hyperkalemia
D) hypokalemia

Question 15

Which of the following is an adverse effect of digoxin?

A) overdose toxicity
B) confusion
C) respiratory depression
D) renal toxicity

Question 16

Drug therapy for hypertension usually begins with:

A) beta-blockers
B) ACE inhibitors
C) diuretics
D) calcium channel blockers

Question 17

The antihypertensive drugs that are overused by physicians, partially because of their fear of heart failure for elderly patients, are:

A) diuretics
B) cardiac glycosides
C) anticoagulants
D) antiarrhythmic drugs

Question 18

An antiarrhythmic drug that should be avoided in elderly patients because of its major toxicities is:

A) lidocaine
B) quinidine
C) disopyramide
D) diltiazem

Question 19

The second-most common group of drugs taken by elderly patients is:

A) sedatives and hypnotics
B) antiarrhythmics
C) diuretics
D) anticoagulants

Question 20

Geriatric patients are often more sensitive to the respiratory effects of:

A) narcotic analgesics
B) diuretics
C) antipsychotics
D) calcium channel blockers

Question 21

For geriatric patients, which type of drugs should be started in just a fraction of the amount indicated for younger patients?

A) Antiarrhythmics
B) Hypnotics
C) Antidepressants and antipsychotics
D) Diuretics

Question 22

In older adults, because of their reduced antimuscarinic effects, the tricyclic antidepressants of choice are:

A) tacrine or ketoconazole
B) donezepil or rivastigmine
C) nortriptyline or desipramine
D) lithium or galantamine

Question 23

A condition characterized by progressive memory and cognitive function impairment is known as:

A) Parkinson's disease
B) depression
C) Alzheimer's disease
D) hypertension

Question 24

The type of drugs usually focused on as treatments for Alzheimer's disease are:

A) cholinomimetic drugs
B) anti-inflammatory drugs
C) antimicrobial drugs
D) antimuscarinic drugs

Question 25

In elderly patients, drugs that are used to treat osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis but that may still require close monitoring due to possible adverse effects include NSAIDs and:

A) calcium supplements
B) histamine blockers
C) corticosteroids
D) ACE inhibitors

Question 26

In long-term care facilities, 75% of older adults use which type of drugs on a daily basis?

A) Antidiarrheals
B) Asthma medications
C) Laxatives
D) Antiemetics

Question 27

The normal creatinine clearance value for an adult is ________ mL/minute.

A) 50 - 70
B) 80 - 130
C) 110 - 145
D) 130 - 165

Question 28

For people over age 65, drug dosages must be adjusted according to which of the following?

A) weight, diet, laboratory results, and hypersensitivities
B) race, alcohol intake, gender, and allergies
C) weight, body fat, laboratory results, and current health conditions
D) race, amount of exercise, gender, and family history

Question 29

Adverse effects of thioridazine (Mellaril) and cimetidine (Tagamet), in the elderly, include which of the following?

A) hypotension
B) confusion
C) renal toxicity
D) ototoxicity

Question 30

A good way to reduce confusion and medication errors is to:

A) prescribe a wide variety of drugs that will work together properly
B) use extra-large print on prescription pads
C) keep the patient's drug regimen as simple as possible
D) tell the patient to have another person administer his or her drugs