Nokea
An 80-year-old patient who has COPD takes TMP/SMX for acute exacerbations, which occur three or four times each year. To monitor this patient for adverse drug reactions, the primary care NP should order:
- A. liver function tests.
- B. blood urea nitrogen and creatinine.
- C. serum bilirubin levels.
- D. a complete blood count (CBC) with differential.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because elderly patients on TMP/SMX risk bone marrow suppression, monitored via CBC. Choice A is incorrect (liver tests pre-treatment). Choice B is wrong (renal pre-treatment). Choice C is inaccurate (bilirubin not primary).
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The primary care NP sees a 4-year-old child who has received four doses of PCV 7 in the first 15 months of life. The NP should administer:
- A. PCV 7.
- B. PCV 13.
- C. PPV 23.
- D. no PCV.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because children under 5 with PCV 7 series should get one PCV 13 dose. Choice A is incorrect (PCV 7 outdated). Choice C is wrong (PPV 23 not for this age). Choice D is inaccurate (vaccine needed).
The elderly are at high risk of ADRs due to:
- A. Having greater muscle mass than younger adults, leading to higher volume of distribution
- B. The extensive studies that have been conducted on drug safety in this age group
- C. The blood-brain barrier being less permeable, requiring higher doses to achieve therapeutic effect
- D. Age-related decrease in renal function
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Choice D is correct because an age-related decline in renal function slows drug excretion, increasing ADR risk as drugs accumulate. Choice A is incorrect as muscle mass decreases with age, not increases. Choice B is wrong because studies are often limited in the elderly, not extensive. Choice C is incorrect since the blood-brain barrier's permeability doesn't typically lessen, and higher doses aren't standard.
An example of a first-dose reaction that may occur includes:
- A. Orthostatic hypotension that does not occur with repeated doses
- B. Purple glove syndrome with phenytoin use
- C. Hemolytic anemia from ceftriaxone use
- D. Contact dermatitis from neomycin use
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Choice A is correct because orthostatic hypotension can occur with a first dose of drugs like antihypertensives, subsiding as the body adjusts, a classic first-dose reaction. Choice B is incorrect as purple glove syndrome is a rare phenytoin effect, not first-dose specific. Choice C is wrong because hemolytic anemia is a type II reaction, not first-dose. Choice D is incorrect since contact dermatitis is a delayed, not first-dose, reaction.
Which of the following statements about the major distribution barriers (blood-brain or fetal-placental) is true?
- A. Water soluble and ionized drugs cross these barriers rapidly.
- B. The blood-brain barrier slows the entry of many drugs into and from brain cells.
- C. The fetal-placental barrier protects the fetus from drugs taken by the mother.
- D. Lipid-soluble drugs do not pass these barriers and are safe for pregnant women.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Choice B is correct because the blood-brain barrier, with its tight junctions, slows entry of many drugs, especially water-soluble ones, protecting the brain. Choice A is incorrect as water-soluble, ionized drugs cross poorly due to barrier selectivity. Choice C is wrong because the fetal-placental barrier doesn't fully block drugs—many cross and affect the fetus. Choice D is incorrect since lipid-soluble drugs readily pass these barriers, posing risks in pregnancy.
Genetic testing prior to prescribing which drug could prevent serious adverse drug reactions?
- A. Acetaminophen
- B. Codeine
- C. Albuterol
- D. All of the above
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Choice B is correct because genetic testing for CYP2D6 variants can prevent ADRs with codeine; poor metabolizers get no pain relief, while ultrarapid metabolizers risk morphine toxicity. Choice A is incorrect as acetaminophen metabolism isn't strongly tied to genetic variants causing serious ADRs. Choice C is wrong because albuterol's inhaled use has minimal genetic metabolism risks. Choice D is incorrect since only codeine benefits significantly from pre-prescribing genetic testing.