While caring for a patient with a history of hypothyroidism, the nurse expects which of the following medications to be included in the patient's medication list?
- A. Levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid)
- B. Estrogen (Estradiol)
- C. Iodine 131
- D. Carbimazole (Methimazole)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, replacing thyroid hormone; carbimazole treats hyperthyroidism, and iodine 131 is for ablation.
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The patient is taking a 2-mg dose of ropinerol XR. The drug has a half-life of 12 hours. How long will it be before only 0.25 mg of this drug remains in the patient's system?
- A. 24 hours
- B. 36 hours
- C. 48 hours
- D. 60 hours
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to half of the peak level it previously achieved. At 12 hours there will be 1 mg of the drug available to the body. At 24 hours there will be 0.5 mg, at 36 hours there will be 0.25 mg, at 48 hours there will be 0.125 mg, and at 60 hours there will be 0.0625 mg.
The American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association recommend a minimum daily fiber intake of for cardiovascular health:
- A. 10 mg/day
- B. 15 mg/day
- C. 20 mg/day
- D. 25 mg/day
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: 25 g/day of fiber is recommended to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering cholesterol and improving glucose control.
A group of nursing students are reviewing information about drug development in the United States in preparation for an exam. The students demonstrate understanding of this material when they identify testing of which of the following as one of the first steps?
- A. Small group of healthy volunteers
- B. People who have the disease
- C. Live animals
- D. Large numbers of patients
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Initially, drug testing begins with testing in an artificial environment such as a test tube, and then this testing is followed by testing on live animals. Next, clinical testing occurs with each phase involving a larger number of people. First, a small group of 20 to 100 healthy volunteers are tested; then testing is performed on people who have the disease or condition. Last, the drug is given to large numbers of patients in medical research centers.
A patient's liquid cough medicine has been discontinued with one half of the bottle remaining. The home health nurse is aware that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines on prescription medication disposal, the next step should be to:
- A. save the remainder for another patient with the same prescription.
- B. flush the remainder down the toilet.
- C. read the drug label for specific disposal instructions.
- D. pour remaining medication into a hazardous waste container.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse must follow specific disposal instructions on the drug label or in the patient information leaflet that accompanies the medication. Prescription medications should not be shared among patients. Prescription drugs should not be flushed down the toilet unless specifically instructed to do so by the manufacturer. The first action to be taken is to follow disposal instructions on the label. If the drug label indicates it should be emptied into a hazardous waste container, measures should be taken to prevent leaking and/or accidental ingestion.
The nurse learns that a drug needed by the patient is classified as an orphan drug and recognizes what as a reason for this classification?(Select one that does not apply.)
- A. The drug is rarely prescribed.
- B. The drug has dangerous adverse effects.
- C. The drug treats a rare disease.
- D. The patent on the medication is still effective.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Drugs are classified as orphan drugs when they are not financially viable for a drug company to produce either because of risk for lawsuits about adverse effects or because the drug is not prescribed, which is often seen in rare diagnoses. Generic drugs are not produced until the patent expires, but this has no impact on classifying a particular drug as an orphan drug. Generic drugs are often produced by companies that only manufacture drugs without conducting research, but this has no bearing on the classification of orphan drugs.