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A client on the unit suddenly cries out in fear. The nurse notices that the client's head is twisted to one side, his back is arched, and his eyes have rolled back in their sockets. The client has recently begun drug therapy with haloperidol (Haldol).
- A. Get a stat order for a serum drug level.
- B. Hold the client's medication until the symptoms subside.
- C. Place an urgent call to the client's physician.
- D. Give a PRN dose of benztropine (Cogentin).
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The client is experiencing an acute dystonic reaction, common with high-potency antipsychotics like haloperidol. Immediate treatment with an anticholinergic like benztropine provides rapid relief.
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Which of the following is the primary consideration with clients taking antidepressants?
- A. Decreased mobility
- B. Emotional changes
- C. Suicide
- D. Increased sleep
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Suicide is always a primary consideration when treating clients with depression due to the risk of worsening symptoms or medication-related effects.
A patient with schizophrenia is being treated with olanzapine (Zyprexa) 10 mg daily. The patient asks the nurse how this medicine works. The nurse explains that the mechanism by which the olanzapine controls the patient's psychotic symptoms is believed to be
- A. Increasing the amount of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.
- B. Decreasing the amount of an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters.
- C. Normalizing the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
- D. Blocking dopamine receptors in the brain.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The major action of all antipsychotics, including olanzapine, is to block dopamine receptors in the brain, which helps control psychotic symptoms.
A client with bipolar disorder has been taking lithium, and today his serum blood level is 1.8 mEq/L. The client reports nausea. Which of the following interventions by the nurse is indicated?
- A. Constipation and postural hypotension
- B. Fever, muscle rigidity
- C. Nausea
- D. None, the serum level is in therapeutic range
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A lithium level of 1.8 mEq/L is above the therapeutic range (0.5-1.5 mEq/L) and indicates potential toxicity, with nausea being a common symptom. The nurse should notify the physician for further evaluation.
How should the nurse respond to a family member who asks how Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed?
- A. It is impossible to know for certain that a person has Alzheimer's disease until the person dies and his or her brain can be examined via autopsy.
- B. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can identify the amyloid plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease in living clients.
- C. Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed by using chemical markers that demonstrate decreased cerebral blood flow.
- D. It will be necessary for the patient to undergo positron emission tomography (PET) scans regularly for a long period of time to know if the patient has Alzheimer's disease.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can identify the amyloid plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease in living clients, allowing diagnosis without autopsy. Decreased cerebral blood flow is not specific to Alzheimer's, and regular PET scans are not necessary for diagnosis.
Which of the following is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
- A. Dopamine
- B. GABA
- C. Norepinephrine
- D. Epinephrine
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and has been found to modulate other neurotransmitter systems rather than to provide a direct stimulus. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine are excitatory neurotransmitters.