Deck 16: Central and Peripheral Nervous System Medications

Question 1

Antimigraine agents act by which of the following mechanisms?

A) Blocking parasympathetic nerve impulses
B) Increasing cerebral blood flow
C) Constricting dilated cerebral arteries
D) Exerting a sympathomimetic effect

Answer 1

Constricting dilated cerebral arteries

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true regarding benzodiazepines?

A) These drugs are safe to use in pregnancy.
B) These drugs may be habit forming.
C) If a dose is forgotten,double the next dose.
D) Caffeine enhances the effect.

Answer 2

These drugs may be habit forming.

Question 3

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)is an antiemetic;it is also used for which of the following other conditions?

A) Headaches
B) Edema
C) Epistaxis
D) Rash

Answer 3

Rash

Question 4

CNS depression,decreased respiratory rate,constricted pupils,tachycardia,and areflexia are symptoms of overdose with which of the following drugs?

A) Barbiturates
B) Serotonin (5HT)receptor agonists
C) Dopaminergic agents
D) Anticholinergic drugs

Question 5

Long-term use of dopaminergic drugs often leads to which of the following conditions?

A) Muscle flaccidity
B) Migraine headaches
C) Incontinence
D) Tardive dyskinesia

Question 6

The desired effect of an antidepressant drug will usually occur within which of the following periods?

A) 48 to 72 hours
B) 35 days
C) 3 to 4 weeks
D) 48 weeks

Question 7

A sedative-hypnotic drug may be prescribed for a patient with which of the following conditions?

A) Vertigo
B) Schizophrenia
C) Acute mania
D) A sleep disorder

Question 8

Which of the following medications is classified as a benzodiazepine?

A) Lorazepam (Ativan)
B) Buspirone (BuSpar)
C) Benztropine (Cogentin)
D) Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)

Question 9

Lithium is an antimanic drug that is used in the treatment of which of the following conditions?

A) Clinical chronic depression
B) Acute depression
C) Prolonged sleep psychosis
D) Manic-depressive psychosis

Question 10

The nurse is instructing a patient about the use of her oral antimigraine agent.The instruction should include the best effective action of the drug.Which of the following represents the best way to take this agent?

A) Take the medication at the onset of an attack.
B) This medication should be taken 30 minutes after the onset of the migraine.
C) Take the medication routinely every night.
D) Take the medication 30 minutes before meals.

Question 11

The nurse is working with a patient who says he is hearing voices,and they are louder than they have been in the past.The patient has a history of taking phenothiazines but has not taken his medication for a few days.Which of the following psychotic disorders does this patient have?

A) Manic-depression
B) Chronic depressive behavior
C) Schizophrenia
D) Acute depression

Question 12

The nurse instructs a patient about monoamine oxidase (MAO)inhibitors before discharge.The nurse tells the patient to avoid certain foods and beverages while she is on the MAO inhibitors because they could cause which of the following problems?

A) An increase in appetite leading to obesity
B) Severe psychosis
C) An increase in depressive behavior
D) Sudden and severe hypertension

Question 13

Which of the following is the drug of choice for status epilepticus?

A) Tegretol
B) Phenobarbital
C) Klonopin
D) Valium

Question 14

Which of the following is the main action of benzodiazepines?

A) They slow REM sleep.
B) They depress the CNS.
C) They prolong the use of sleeping aids.
D) They prevent "hangovers."

Question 15

A patient comes into the emergency department with status epilepticus in progress.The nurse expects the physician to order which of the following drugs for this condition?

A) Diazepam (Valium)
B) Clonazepam (Klonopin)
C) Ethotoin (Peganone)
D) Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx)

Question 16

The nurse gives a patient in the emergency department (ED)who has nausea and vomiting prochlorperazine (Compazine)IM,as ordered by the physician.The patient is discharged 2 hours after the administration of this medication.The nurse asks the friend of the patient to drive him home.This action is necessary for which of the following reasons?

A) The patient is too nervous after this ED visit.
B) The patient does drive a car,but he is too elderly.
C) The medication causes hyperactivity of the brain.
D) The patient should not operate a motor vehicle after receiving this medication.

Question 17

Clonazepam (Klonopin),a benzodiazepine,is used on certain patients with which of the following disorders of the central nervous system?

A) Motion sickness
B) Parkinsonism
C) Myoclonic seizures
D) Chronic vertigo

Question 18

A patient comes to the clinic and tells the nurse she might be pregnant.She has migraine headaches.The physician prescribes dihydroergotamine (D.H.E.45).The nurse explains to the patient that this drug is being used for which of the following reasons?

A) This agent dilates vessels in migraine headaches.
B) This agent does not have oxytocic effects.
C) This agent has no toxic effects.
D) This agent does not cause dependence.

Question 19

The nurse should include which of the following when teaching an adult patient about an antivertigo agent?

A) Some patients experience hyperactivity.
B) Take 30 to 60 minutes before airplane or boat departure.
C) Take 30 minutes after meals.
D) Do not take with dairy products.

Question 20

The physician has ordered phenobarbital (Luminal)100 mg three times a day for a patient with seizures.To help the nurse develop an appropriate care plan for this patient,which of the following best describes the action of this drug in the body?

A) It will increase urination for 2 hours after ingestion.
B) It will cause severe thirst and dryness of the mucus membranes.
C) It has a long duration and a sedative effect on the brain.
D) It will lower the seizure threshold.

Question 21

Antipsychotic drugs are listed in which of the following similar broad categories? (Select all that apply. )

A) Phenothiazines
B) Anticholinergics
C) Thioxanthenes
D) Benzodiazepines

Question 22

Which of the following drugs are tetracyclic compounds? (Select all that apply. )

A) Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
B) Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
C) Mirtazapine (Remeron)
D) Trazodone (Desyrel)

Question 23

The nurse is observing a nursing home patient who is taking a dopaminergic agent.The nurse should teach the patient to be on the outlook for which of the following early signs of toxicity from this medication?

A) Hypertension and edema
B) Muscle twitching and blepharospasm
C) Cravings and increased appetite
D) Hypersensitivity and cool extremities

Question 24

Long-acting barbiturates are used in the treatment of status epilepticus as well as seizures caused by which of the following? (Select all that apply. )

A) Fever
B) Tetanus
C) Drugs
D) Arthritis