Question 1

A patient with myasthenia gravis who is taking a cholinesterase inhibitor is being admitted to the intensive care unit and is on mechanical ventilation. The prescriber has ordered a challenge dose of edrophonium to distinguish between a myasthenic crisis and a medication overdose. The nurse will expect to do what?
A) Administer neostigmine if muscle strength decreases.
B) Be prepared to administer atropine and oxygen if muscle weakness increases.
C) Give a second dose of edrophonium if no improvement is seen.
D) Give pralidoxime [Protopam] if cholinergic symptoms worsen.

Accepted Answer

Edrophonium is an ultra-short-acting cholinesterase inhibitor used to distinguish between a myasthenic crisis and a cholinesterase inhibitor overdose, because weakness or paralysis can occur with both. If the symptoms are intensified and muscle weakness increases, the crisis is cholinergic, meaning that the patient is having toxic effects from the cholinesterase inhibitor and needs atropine as an antidote. Neostigmine would be given if the patient shows improved muscle strength, because that would indicate that the patient's symptoms are the result of a myasthenic crisis. A second dose of edrophonium would only worsen the symptoms. Pralidoxime is used to treat poisoning caused by irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors.

Question 2

A patient who has myasthenia gravis will be taking neostigmine. What will the nurse emphasize when teaching this patient about the medication?
A) "Stop taking the drug if you have diarrhea."
B) "Take a supplementary dose before exercise."
C) "Use atropine if you have excessive salivation."
D) "Withhold the dose if ptosis occurs."

Accepted Answer

Neostigmine doses must be adjusted continually, and patients usually need supplemental doses before exertion; therefore, patients must be taught how to modify doses as needed. Increased gastrointestinal (GI) secretions can cause loose stools; this is a known adverse effect that does not warrant stopping the drug. Atropine will help with excessive salivation but should not be used routinely, because it can mask the early signs of anticholinesterase overdose. Ptosis is one of the symptoms of myasthenia gravis and is an indication for taking neostigmine.

Question 3

A nurse working in the emergency department is assigned to a child who is arriving by ambulance after being involved in a spill of organophosphate insecticides. What will the nurse expect to be the initial priority for treating this child?
A) Administering diphenhydramine to control secretions
B) Giving diazepam to control seizures
C) Providing mechanical ventilation and oxygen
D) Reporting the spill to the Environmental Protection Agency

Accepted Answer

All of these courses of action may be part of the treatment. However, the initial concern is to prevent death from apnea caused by laryngospasm, bronchoconstriction, and paralysis leading to apnea; therefore, maintaining an airway is the most important consideration. Pralidoxime is the specific antidote and should be given next. Atropine is used to control secretions. Diazepam is given when seizures occur. Reporting the accident to the proper authorities is not a priority during a life-threatening emergency.

Question 4

Two nurses are discussing the major differences between physostigmine [Antilirium] and neostigmine [Prostigmin]. One nurse correctly makes which statement about physostigmine [Antilirium]?
A) "It is not effective for treating poisoning by muscarinic blocking drugs."
B) "It can readily cross the blood-brain barrier."
C) "It does not cause any side effects."
D) "It can be given by all routes."

Accepted Answer

The basic pharmacology of physostigmine is nearly identical to that of neostigmine, except that physostigmine readily crosses membranes, including the blood-brain barrier; neostigmine does not. Physostigmine and neostigmine are both effective for treating poisoning by muscarinic blocking drugs. Neither physostigmine nor neostigmine is devoid of side effects. Physostigmine can be given only intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV); neostigmine is given orally (PO), IM, IV, and subcutaneously (subQ).

Question 5

A patient is experiencing toxic side effects from atropine, including delirium and hallucinations. Which medication will the nurse expect to administer?
A) Donepezil [Aricept]
B) Edrophonium [Reversol]
C) Neostigmine [Prostigmin]
D) Physostigmine

Accepted Answer

Physostigmine is the drug of choice for treating poisoning from atropine and other drugs that cause muscarinic blockade. Donepezil is used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Edrophonium is used to distinguish between a myasthenic crisis and a cholinesterase inhibitor overdose. Neostigmine does not cross the blood-brain barrier and would not effectively treat this patient's CNS symptoms.

Question 6

A nurse is helping a nursing student who is administering a medication to a patient with myasthenia gravis. Which statement by the student indicates the need for further teaching?
A) "I will ask the patient to sip some water before giving the medication."
B) "I will let the patient sleep after giving the medication, because rest is important."
C) "I will record muscle strength assessments before and after I give the medication."
D) "I will report excessive salivation to the patient's prescriber."

Accepted Answer

An important assessment indicating the medication's effectiveness is evaluating a patient's ability to raise the eyelids. Letting the patient sleep, even though rest is important, would prevent the nurse from making this assessment. To make sure the patient can safely swallow a pill, the nurse must evaluate swallowing ability by asking the patient to take a sip of water. Muscle strength assessments before and after medication administration help the nurse evaluate the medication's effectiveness. Excessive salivation may be a sign of drug toxicity and should be reported.

Question 7

A nurse is caring for a patient who has myasthenia gravis. The prescriber has ordered neostigmine [Prostigmin]. An important initial nursing action before administration of the medication includes assessing:
A) the ability to raise the eyelids.
B) level of fatigue.
C) skeletal muscle strength.
D) swallowing ability.

Accepted Answer

Many patients hospitalized for myasthenia gravis do not have the muscle strength to swallow well and need a parenteral form of the medication; therefore, assessing the patient's ability to swallow is an important initial safety measure. Evaluating the patient's ability to raise the eyelids, level of fatigue, and skeletal muscle strength are important assessments before drug administration and during drug treatment, because they indicate the effectiveness of the drug and help determine subsequent doses.

Question 8

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors. Which statement by a student indicates understanding of the teaching?
A) "Diazepam is given to reverse inhibition of cholinesterase when overdose occurs."
B) "Irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors are rapidly absorbed by all routes."
C) "These agents are often used to treat glaucoma."
D) "Toxic doses of these agents produce an anticholinergic crisis."

Accepted Answer

Almost all of these agents are highly lipid soluble, making them readily absorbed from all routes of administration. Diazepam is used during overdose but only to control seizures and not to reverse effects. The only clinical use for these agents is to treat glaucoma, but this use is limited. Toxic doses of these agents produce a cholinergic, not an anticholinergic, crisis.

Question 9

The nurse is teaching a patient who is newly diagnosed with myasthenia gravis about managing the disease. Which is important when teaching this patient about adverse effects of cholinesterase inhibitors?
A) "There are very few serious side effects associated with your medication."
B) "It is important to notify your provider if you have excessive saliva."
C) "If you experience urinary urgency, you may need to increase your dose."
D) "Excessive sweating is a minor side effect and will improve over time."

Accepted Answer

Accumulation of ACh at muscarinic receptors can result in excessive salivation, bradycardia, sweating, increased gastric secretions, increased tone and motility of the GI tract, and urinary urgency. These responses may have to be suppressed with atropine. In toxic doses, accumulation of ACh may produce depolarizing neuromuscular blockade with paralysis of respiratory muscles. Patients should be taught to report any of these symptoms to their provider.

Quiz 15: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Their Use in Myasthenia Gravis

A patient who has myasthenia gravis will be taking neostigmine. What will the nurse emphasize when teaching this patient about the medication?

A nurse working in the emergency department is assigned to a child who is arriving by ambulance after being involved in a spill of organophosphate insecticides. What will the nurse expect to be the initial priority for treating this child?

Two nurses are discussing the major differences between physostigmine [Antilirium] and neostigmine [Prostigmin]. One nurse correctly makes which statement about physostigmine [Antilirium]?

A patient is experiencing toxic side effects from atropine, including delirium and hallucinations. Which medication will the nurse expect to administer?

A nurse is helping a nursing student who is administering a medication to a patient with myasthenia gravis. Which statement by the student indicates the need for further teaching?

A nurse is caring for a patient who has myasthenia gravis. The prescriber has ordered neostigmine [Prostigmin]. An important initial nursing action before administration of the medication includes assessing:

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors. Which statement by a student indicates understanding of the teaching?

The nurse is teaching a patient who is newly diagnosed with myasthenia gravis about managing the disease. Which is important when teaching this patient about adverse effects of cholinesterase inhibitors?