Deck 4: Pharmacodynamics

Question 1

The nurse is discussing the difference between potency and efficacy with a client who has just received a prescription to treat congestive heart failure.Which statement by the client indicates that learning has occurred?

A)"The best drug for me is the one with the greatest efficacy."
B)"A drug with the greatest efficacy will produce the least side effects."
C)"Low-potency drugs have efficacy and do not produce side effects."
D)"The best drug for me is the one with the highest potency."

Answer 1

"The best drug for me is the one with the greatest efficacy."

Question 2

The nurse is reviewing the medication administration record for a group of clients and recognizes that which agents have nonspecific cellular responses?
Select all that apply.

A)Ethyl alcohol
B)General anesthetics
C)Osmotic diuretics
D)Calcium channel blockers
E)Alpha-adrenergic antihypertensives

Answer 2

Ethyl alcohol
General anesthetics
Osmotic diuretics

Question 3

A client receiving antibiotics for a serious infection asks the nurse,"Why don't you just give me more of that drug to cure the infection faster?" Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A)"I will check with the doctor to see if it is time to increase the medication."
B)"You are at maximum dose; taking more will not help."
C)"You are at a maximum dose; taking more will cause interactions with other medications."
D)"You must stay on this drug for two more weeks before the dosage can be increased."

Answer 3

"You are at maximum dose; taking more will not help."

Question 4

The nurse explains to a student nurse that the median lethal dose of drugs is often determined in laboratory preclinical trials.Which rationales best support why this is done?
Select all that apply.

A)It would be unethical to determine these values in human subjects.
B)The safety of the medication must be determined prior to clinical trials.
C)It is difficult to obtain sufficient participants for clinical trials.
D)Clinical trials determine only the effective dose of a drug.
E)It is too costly to conduct the studies during clinical trials.

Question 5

A client with hypertension is prescribed a potent antihypertensive without results.The client is concerned when the health care provider orders a new drug.Which explanation by the nurse is the most appropriate?
Select all that apply.

A)The drug you took is very potent and a higher dose is needed."
B)The new drug has greater efficacy,so it will help reduce your blood pressure."
C)The prescriber must have made an error in the orders."
D)Efficacy in treating your hypertension is more important than potency."
E)You are correct.I think the prescriber meant to order both drugs."

Question 6

The nurse on a medical-surgical unit identifies several clients as being at risk for hemolytic symptoms after the administration of oxidative medications.Which clients does the nurse correctly identify as being at risk?
Select all that apply.

A)A male of Egyptian descent with no allergies
B)A male immigrant from Morocco with hypertension
C)An adolescent female from India with anemia
D)A Latina female with an allergy to fava beans
E)An older Native American male with diabetes

Question 7

The nurse is administering narcotics to surgical clients and understands that which characteristic is true?

A)Codeine is less potent than morphine; it will not produce an allergic reaction.
B)Codeine is less potent than morphine; it will not relieve pain as well.
C)Morphine is more potent than codeine; it will produce more adverse effects.
D)Morphine is more potent than codeine; a lesser dose will be required.

Question 8

The nursing instructor is teaching student nurses about how the median effective dose of a medication is related to clinical practice.Which statement reflects the correct understanding by the student?

A)"About 50% of clients will experience severe side effects from the drug."
B)"About 50% of clients will not experience any effect from the drug."
C)"Some clients will respond differently,depending on their ethnic background."
D)"Some clients will require more or less than the average dose of the drug."

Question 9

The health care provider has ordered naltrexone (ReVia),a narcotic antagonist,for a client in rehabilitation who is recovering from heroin addiction.The nurse explains that if heroin is used while taking the naltrexone,the client could experience which effect?

A)Severe nausea and vomiting
B)Lack of euphoria
C)Anger and rage
D)A severe craving for more heroin

Question 10

The nurse has taught a group of clients how their medications work in their bodies.Which comment by a client reflects correct understanding of the teaching?

A)"The normal function of a cell is enhanced or blocked by medications."
B)"Medications help the body produce new enzymes."
C)"Body tissue functions are changed by medications."
D)"Medications change the function of cells in the body."

Question 11

The nurse is administering a medication that will bind to histamine-2 receptors in the stomach and block their action.The nurse explains to the client that this drug will cause which action?

A)A reduction in abdominal cramping
B)A decrease in stomach acidity
C)A reduction in nausea
D)An increase in stomach motility

Question 12

A client asks the nurse why his dose of an antihypertensive medication is different from his neighbor's dose,stating,"We both take the exact same drug,but I take 60 mg and he takes only 25 mg." Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A)"If your neighbor is a lot younger than you,his dose might be a lot lower."
B)"Individuals often have widely different responses to the same medications and need different doses of the same medication."
C)"If your neighbor takes a lot of other medications,he might need to take a lower dose of the medication than you."
D)"If you are taking a generic brand of the medication,you will need a higher dose than you would of a brand name of the same medication."

Question 13

The client and his wife receive the same medication for hypertension.The wife asks the nurse why she is receiving a higher dose of the medication.Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A)"You have a greater percentage of body fat,so you need more medication."
B)"Females have a higher metabolism,so you need more medication."
C)"Your hormones are different from your husband's,so you need more medication."
D)"Everyone is unique and responds differently to medication."

Question 14

The nurse is researching a drug recently released on the market to determine what the median lethal dose (LD₅₀)was in preclinical trials.The nurse recognizes that this number reflects which fact?

A)The dose at which 50% of the research animals died
B)A measurement of the potency of the drug
C)The value of relative safety of the drug
D)The dose that produced signs of toxicity in 50% of lab animals

Question 15

The student nurse has been reading about the Human Genome Project,and asks the nursing instructor how it will affect future pharmacological therapies.Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A)"It will help prevent disease through gene manipulation,but will not impact drugs."
B)"We will be able to alter genes,so we will not need drugs,"
C)"We will be able to standardize drug doses to make prescribing easier."
D)"It will help to individualize drug therapy for people in a more effective way."

Question 16

A client looks up the drug he is taking in a drug guide and asks the nurse why the health care provider prescribed a medication that has a lethal dose measure.Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A)"Lethal dose just refers to what is done in research; it is not used by doctors to prescribe drugs."
B)"The lethal dose is a value determined in research that helps to establish the safe dose."
C)"All that means is that the drug could be lethal,but I will closely monitor you for side effects."
D)"Don't worry about that.I will have your doctor explain it to you."

Question 17

The nurse administers a medication that binds to a beta receptor on the cardiac muscle,resulting in stimulation of the receptor.Which effect does the nurse anticipate when assessing the client?

A)A decrease in chest pain
B)An increase in heart rate
C)An increase in blood pressure
D)A decrease in electrical conduction

Question 18

Prior to administering medications,the nurse reviews the therapeutic index.What is the therapeutic index used to identify?

A)Whether the health are provider has prescribed the best drug for the client
B)When a client will begin to experience toxic drug effects
C)Interactions among the drugs the client is receiving
D)Clients who will need to have serum blood levels monitored

Question 19

A client has been receiving haloperidol (Haldol),a dopamine antagonist.When the psychiatrist changes the order to aripiprazole (Abilify),a partial dopamine antagonist,the nurse anticipates the client will experience which effect?

A)A greater reduction in symptoms
B)Fewer side effects
C)Greater adherence in taking the drug
D)Greater efficacy from the new drug

Question 20

A male client of African descent has been prescribed sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim (Bactrim),a sulfonamide anti-infective,for a bacterial infection.When the client arrives in the emergency department,the nurse should place priority on which assessment?

A)Urinary output
B)Level of red blood cells (RBCs)
C)Liver function tests
D)Renal function tests