Deck 18: Drugs Used for Psychoses

Question 1

What is the most common cause of nonadherence to antipsychotic pharmacologic treatment?

A) Expense
B) Increased symptoms of chemical dependency
C) Extrapyramidal effects
D) Inability of the patient to understand the need to take medications

Answer 1

Extrapyramidal effects

Question 2

The nurse is teaching a patient who is taking clozapine (Clozaril) to have weekly blood tests for the first 6 months of treatment to monitor for which potential complication?

A) Agranulocytosis
B) Vitamin deficiencies
C) Clotting abnormalities
D) Polycythemia

Answer 2

Agranulocytosis

Question 3

The nurse is assessing a patient who is complaining of hearing voices. What is this patient experiencing?

A) Delusions
B) Flight of ideas
C) Disorganized thinking
D) Hallucinations

Answer 3

Hallucinations

Question 4

A male patient becomes verbally aggressive and insists the nurse is poisoning him as she attempts to administer haloperidol (Haldol). Which action will the nurse take?

A) Support the patient's decision to refuse the medication.
B) Discreetly ask an assistant to put the medication in the patient's food.
C) Firmly redirect the patient to take the medication.
D) Speak privately with the patient and reinforce medication action.

Question 5

Dystonic reactions, pseudoparkinsonism, akathisia, and tardive dyskinesia are types of which effect?

A) Extrapyramidal symptoms
B) Allergic reactions
C) Idiosyncratic reactions
D) Therapeutic responses

Question 6

A patient with schizophrenia has been nonadherent with his home medication regimen. He requires frequent admissions to the intensive psychiatric unit for treatment of acute psychotic episodes. Which medication regimen would be appropriate for this patient?

A) Daily home nursing visits to administer the prescribed oral medication
B) Continuous inpatient hospitalization for medication therapy
C) Administration of depot antipsychotic medication
D) Subcutaneous medication administration

Question 7

Which adverse effects may occur as a result of antipsychotic drug therapy? (Select all that apply.)

A) Acute dystonia
B) Akathisia
C) Weight loss
D) Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
E) Hypoglycemia
F) Tardive dyskinesia

Question 8

Which signs and symptoms are present in neuroleptic malignant syndrome? (Select all that apply.)

A) Fever
B) Hypertension
C) Severe extrapyramidal symptoms
D) Alterations in consciousness
E) Bradycardia

Question 9

To what does potency of an antipsychotic medication refer?

A) Severity of adverse effects associated with the drug
B) Length of time that it takes to reach a therapeutic blood level of the drug
C) Milligram doses used for the medication
D) Effectiveness of the drug in alleviating psychotic behavior

Question 10

Which statement is true regarding the adverse effects associated with antipsychotic medications?

A) Tardive dyskinesia is a common, reversible condition.
B) Painful dystonic reactions can occur in the first 72 hours of initiation of therapy.
C) Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a common adverse effect.
D) Pseudoparkinsonian symptoms can cause Parkinson's disease.

Question 11

Which is an appropriate nursing intervention for a patient who has recently been prescribed clozapine (Clozaril)?

A) Assess for signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia.
B) Encourage a low-fiber diet.
C) Measure the patient's waist circumference.
D) Monitor for insomnia.

Question 12

Why is a combination of antipsychotic agents with benzodiazepines useful in initial treatment of the agitated patient? (Select all that apply.)

A) Antipsychotics are not effective for 2 days.
B) Benzodiazepines allow for lower dosages of antipsychotic agents to be used, thereby decreasing serious adverse effects seen with high-dose therapy.
C) It assists in calming the psychotic patient.
D) It allows for rapid increase in dosing of the antipsychotic agents to expedite treatment of hallucinations.
E) It effectively treats extrapyramidal adverse effects associated with antipsychotic agents.

Question 13

A patient admitted to the hospital is exhibiting psychotic behavior. Which signs and/or symptoms would support the diagnosis of psychosis? (Select all that apply.)

A) Constant eye contact during the admission history
B) Deterioration of social functioning
C) Reporting that the FBI has solicited important secret information from his phone conversations
D) Confirmation of hearing voices in his head
E) Changing the topic of conversation inappropriately

Question 14

Which are extrapyramidal adverse effects of antipsychotic agents? (Select all that apply.)

A) Spasmodic movements of muscle groups.
B) Masklike expression
C) Lip smacking
D) Inability to sit in one place for extended period
E) Weight gain

Question 15

Which type of adverse effects is present when a patient displays prolonged tonic contractions of the tongue, oculogyric crisis, and torticollis?

A) Dystonic reactions
B) Pseudoparkinsonism
C) Akathisia
D) Tardive dyskinesia