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A 24-year-old female is prescribed erythromycin for gastroparesis. It is prescribed four times daily due to its short half-life. What is the rationale for such a frequent dosing?
- A. Achieve the steady-state plasma concentration of the drug
- B. Aid more complete distribution of the drug
- C. Avoid the toxicity of the drug because of its low therapeutic index
- D. Ensure that the drug concentration remains constant over time
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Frequent dosing is required due to erythromycin's short half-life and low therapeutic index, which means a narrow margin between effective and toxic doses, necessitating careful maintenance to avoid toxicity.
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A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has a new prescription for Buspirone to treat Anxiety. Which of the following information should the nurse include?
- A. Take this medication on an empty stomach
- B. Expect optimal therapeutic effects within 24 hr.
- C. Take this medication when needed for anxiety
- D. This medication has a low risk for dependency.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Buspirone has a low dependency risk , unlike benzodiazepines; it takes weeks to work, not PRN.
A nurse is completing discharge teaching for a client who has a new prescription for transdermal patches. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the instructions?
- A. I will clean the site with an alcohol swab before I apply the patch.
- B. I will rotate the application sites weekly.
- C. I will apply the patch to an area of skin with no hair.
- D. I will place the new patch on the site of the old patch.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cleaning the site with alcohol ensures proper adhesion and absorption, a key instruction for transdermal patches.
Because of the pattern of cholesterol synthesis, reductase inhibitors are given:
- A. In the evening in a single daily dose
- B. Twice daily in the morning and the evening
- C. With each meal and at bedtime
- D. In the morning before eating
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cholesterol synthesis peaks at night, so evening dosing optimizes reductase inhibitor efficacy.
Select the first choice drug for acute gout:
- A. Colchicine
- B. Indomethacin
- C. Allopurinol
- D. Dexamethasone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Indomethacin, an NSAID, is the first-line treatment for acute gout due to its rapid anti-inflammatory action; colchicine is an alternative, while allopurinol is for prophylaxis.
The nurse uses what term to describe the drug level required to have a therapeutic effect?
- A. Critical concentration
- B. Dynamic equilibrium
- C. Selective toxicity
- D. Active transport
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A critical concentration of a drug must be present before a reaction occurs within the cells to bring about the desired therapeutic effect. A dynamic equilibrium is obtained from absorption of a drug from the site of drug entry, distribution to the active site, metabolism in the liver, and excretion from the body to have a critical concentration. Selective toxicity is the ability of a drug to attach only to those systems found in foreign cells. Active transport is the process that uses energy to actively move a molecule across a cell membrane and is often involved in drug excretion in the kidney.