Deck 2: Pharmacologic Principles

Question 1

Which drugs would be affected by the first-pass effect? (Select all that apply.)

A) Morphine given by IV push injection
B) Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets
C) Diphenhydramine ( Benadryl ) elixir
D) Levothyroxine ( Synthroid ) tablets
E) Transdermal nicotine patches
F) Esomeprazole ( Nexium ) capsules
G) Penicillin given by IV piggyback infusion

Answer 1

Diphenhydramine ( Benadryl ) elixir
Levothyroxine ( Synthroid ) tablets
Esomeprazole ( Nexium ) capsules

Question 2

When given an intravenous medication, the patient says to the nurse, "I usually take pills. Why does this medication have to be given in the arm?" What is the nurse's best resolve ?

A) "The medication will cause fewer adverse effects when given intravenously."
B) "The intravenous medication will have delayed absorption into the body's tissues."
C) "The action of the medication will begin sooner when given intravenously."
D) "There is a lower chance of allergic reactions when drugs are given intravenously."

Answer 2

"The action of the medication will begin sooner when given intravenously."

Question 3

A drug dose that delivers 750 mg has a half-life of 4 hours. How much drug will remain in the body after one half-life?

Answer 3

375 mg
A drug's half-life is the time required for one half of an administered dose of a drug to be eliminated by the body, or the time it takes for the blood level of a drug to be reduced by 50%. Therefore, one half of 750 mg equals 375 mg.

Question 4

The patient is complaining of a headache and asks the nurse which over-the-counter medication form would work the fastest to help reduce the pain. Which medication form will the nurse suggest?

A) A capsule
B) A tablet
C) An enteric-coated tablet
D) A powder

Question 5

When reviewing pharmacology terms for a group of newly graduated nurses, the nurse explains that a drug's half-life is the time it takes for

A) the drug to cause half of its therapeutic response.
B) one half of the original amount of a drug to reach the target cells.
C) one half of the original amount of a drug to be removed from the body.
D) one half of the original amount of a drug to be absorbed into the circulation.

Question 6

When administering a new medication to a patient, the nurse reads that it is highly protein bound. Assuming that the patient's albumin levels are normal, the nurse would expect which result, as compared to a medication that is not highly protein bound?

A) Renal excretion will be faster.
B) The drug will be metabolized quickly.
C) The duration of action of the medication will be shorter.
D) The duration of action of the medication will be longer.

Question 7

When monitoring the patient receiving an intravenous infusion to reduce blood pressure, the nurse notes that the patient's blood pressure is extremely low, and the patient is lethargic and difficult to awaken. This would be classified as which type of adverse drug reaction?

A) An adverse effect
B) An allergic reaction
C) An idiosyncratic reaction
D) A pharmacologic reaction

Question 8

A patient who has advanced cancer is receiving opioid medications around the clock to keep him comfortable as he nears the end of his life. Which term best describes this type of therapy?

A) Palliative therapy
B) Maintenance therapy
C) Empiric therapy
D) Supplemental therapy

Question 9

The nurse is administering medications to the patient who is in liver failure resulting from end-stage cirrhosis. The nurse is aware that patients with liver failure would most likely have problems with which pharmacokinetic phase?

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

Question 10

When reviewing the mechanism of action of a specific drug, the nurse reads that the drug works by selective enzyme interaction. This process occurs when the drug

A) alters cell membrane permeability.
B) enhances its effectiveness within the cell walls of the target tissue.
C) is attracted to a receptor on the cell wall, preventing an enzyme from binding to that receptor.
D) binds to an enzyme molecule and inhibits or enhances the enzyme's action with the normal target cell.

Question 11

The nurse administered a sleeping pill to an elderly patient at bedtime. Two hours later, the patient was irritable, restless, and unable to sleep. The nurse describes the patient's response as which type of reaction?

A) Allergic reaction
B) Mutagenic effect
C) Idiosyncratic reaction
D) Teratogenic reaction

Question 12

The patient is receiving two different drugs. At current dosages and dosage forms, both drugs are absorbed into the circulation in identical amounts. Thus, because they have the same absorption rates, they are

A) bioequivalent.
B) synergistic.
C) prodrugs.
D) in a steady state.

Question 13

The patient is experiencing chest pain and needs to take a sublingual form of nitroglycerin. Where does the nurse instruct the patient to place the tablet?

A) Under the tongue
B) On top of the tongue
C) At the back of the throat
D) In the space between the cheek and the gum

Question 14

The nurse will be injecting a drug into the fatty tissue of the patient's abdomen. Which route does this describe?

A) Intradermal
B) Subcutaneous
C) Intramuscular
D) Transdermal

Question 15

When administering drugs, the nurse remembers that the duration of action of a drug is defined as the time

A) it takes for a drug to elicit a therapeutic response.
B) needed to remove a drug from circulation.
C) it takes for a drug to achieve its maximum therapeutic response.
D) period when a drug's concentration is sufficient to cause a therapeutic response.

Question 16

The nurse is administering parenteral drugs. Which statement is true regarding parenteral drugs?

A) Parenteral drugs bypass the first-pass effect.
B) Absorption of parenteral drugs is affected by reduced blood flow to the stomach.
C) Absorption of parenteral drugs is faster when the stomach is empty.
D) Parenteral drugs exert their effects while circulating in the bloodstream.