Question 1

Which effect takes place when one drug interferes with the action of another drug?
A) Antagonism
B) Displacement
C) Interference
D) Incompatibility

Accepted Answer

Drugs attach at drug receptor sites but then remain chemically inactive; no chemical drug response is produced,but the drug prevents activation of the receptor.

Question 2

Diffusion is one of the mechanisms involved in absorption of medications.What is an effective way for the nurse to explain this mechanism of absorption to a patient?
A) Spray perfume in the air.
B) Pour clear water into clear water in a cup.
C) Mix flour in a large cup.
D) Put bread and meat together.

Accepted Answer

Diffusion is the tendency of the molecules of a substance (gas,liquid,or solid)to move from a region of high concentration to one of lower concentration.

Question 3

A patient has been on antibiotic therapy every 4 hours for 4 days because of a respiratory infection.The patient feels better and has been increasingly missing regular doses of the medication.What should the nurse advise the patient to do?
A) Take the regular doses to keep the correct level of medication in the blood.
B) Stop taking the medication.
C) Take the medication at the same level despite the missed doses.
D) Start taking the medication once a day.

Accepted Answer

If the half-life of a drug is short,as is true for many antibiotics,the person must take frequent doses to keep the correct level in the blood.

Question 4

The nurse is taking a drug history from a patient about her medication,and the patient tells the nurse that the one aspirin she takes a day gives her stomach pain.The patient is having which kind of reaction?
A) Allergy
B) Side effect
C) Toxic
D) Paradoxical

Accepted Answer

If the patient has nausea or stomach pain when taking aspirin,that is a side effect but not an allergy.

Question 5

The nurse is explaining to a patient the difference between a side effect and an adverse reaction.What response should the explanation involve?
A) Both side effects and adverse reactions are severe.
B) Side effects are mild, and adverse effects are severe.
C) Both side effects and adverse reactions are mild.
D) Side effects are severe, and adverse reactions are mild.

Accepted Answer

Side effects are usually seen as mild but annoying responses to a medication.Adverse reactions,or adverse effects,usually imply more severe symptoms or problems that develop because of the drug.

Question 6

A patient is on a cardiac medication and has been drinking alcohol every evening while watching television.On a visit to the clinic,the patient tells the nurse this information and asks if this is all right.What should be the nurse's response?
A) "Limit your alcohol use to 8 ounces a day with a meal."
B) "Alcohol and drugs may alter the drug's ability to work."
C) "There is no alteration with alcohol and drugs if you eat."
D) "The effects of alcohol and drugs only alter sometimes."

Accepted Answer

When taken together,food,alcohol,and drugs may alter the body's ability to use a particular drug.

Question 7

What is the process by which molecules move from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration?
A) Diffusion
B) Osmosis
C) Filtration
D) Solubility

Accepted Answer

In diffusion,molecules move from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration.

Question 8

Drug metabolites can be excreted from the body in which of the following?
A) Saliva, tears, and blood
B) Urine, feces, and bone marrow
C) Feces, urine, and breast milk
D) Breast milk, blood, and urine

Accepted Answer

All inactive chemicals,chemical by-products,and waste (metabolites)finally break down through metabolism and are removed from the body through the process of excretion in feces,urine,and breast milk.

Question 9

The patient tells the nurse that he gets a headache after taking an antihypertensive medication.What is the explanation for this?
A) Uncommon symptom
B) Side effect
C) Drug interaction
D) Desired effect

Accepted Answer

Because a medication may influence many body systems at the same time,the effect of the medication is often not restricted to the desired action.Side effects are usually seen as mild but annoying responses to the medication.

Question 10

A nurse is administering a patient's medication by mouth.The nurse knows that for this medication to be utilized by the body,diffusion,filtration,and osmosis must take place.Which mechanism is the first to be involved in that process?
A) Excretion
B) Metabolism
C) Distribution
D) Absorption

Accepted Answer

Absorption involves the way a drug enters the body and passes into the body and tissues.Absorption takes place through the processes of diffusion,filtration,and osmosis.

Question 11

Which is the most life-threatening type of medication reaction?
A) Paradoxical reaction
B) Hypersensitivity reaction
C) Adverse reaction
D) Anaphylactic reaction

Accepted Answer

Occasionally,an allergic reaction is so severe that the patient has trouble breathing and his or her heart may stop.This life-threatening response is called an anaphylactic reaction.

Question 12

A patient is admitted to the hospital for complaints of drowsiness and nausea after taking an over-the-counter medication for seasonal allergies.What potential problem is this?
A) Adverse effect
B) Desired action
C) Side effect
D) Paradoxical response

Accepted Answer

Adverse reactions,or adverse effects,usually imply relatively severe symptoms or problems that develop because of the drug.

Question 13

What can affect the half-life of a drug?
A) Patient age
B) Liver dysfunction
C) Cardiac disease
D) Smoking

Accepted Answer

If a person's liver or kidneys do not function correctly,medications may not be properly metabolized or excreted,which may produce symptoms of overdosage.

Question 14

Chemical names are different from trade or brand names because chemical names describe which of the following?
A) Atomic or molecular structure
B) Metabolic and chemical structure
C) Generic or chemical structure
D) Receptor and agonist structure

Accepted Answer

Chemical names are often the most difficult to remember because they include the chemicals that make up the drug.These names are usually long and hyphenated and describe the atomic or molecular structure.

Question 15

A patient asks why she needs to report all the over-the-counter medications she takes to her health care provider.Which represents the best response to this inquiry?
A) Some medications interfere with other medications.
B) All medications need to be listed in your record.
C) Sometimes errors are made in storing over-the-counter medications.
D) Some over-the-counter medications are mislabeled.

Accepted Answer

An antagonistic effect takes place when one drug interferes with the action of another drug.All drugs,even those purchased over-the-counter,can cause problems.

Question 16

Vitamin C is a water-soluble medication that is dissolved,filtered,and excreted out of the body through which organ(s)?
A) The small bowel in feces
B) The gallbladder through the liver
C) The kidneys through urine
D) The skin through evaporation

Accepted Answer

Chemicals that may be made water-soluble are dissolved and filtered out as they pass through the kidneys,and then lost in the urine.

Question 17

Which explanation by the nurse explains to a patient that water should be taken with a tablet?
A) "Juice or milk can keep it from dissolving."
B) "Water is important for proper metabolism."
C) "Water keeps the medicine potent."
D) "Water helps to dissolve the medication."

Accepted Answer

When the patient takes water with a tablet,it not only helps in swallowing but also helps dissolve the medication and increase its solubility.

Question 18

What should the nurse do when writing the trade and generic name of a drug?
A) Capitalize both trade and generic names.
B) Capitalize the trade name but not the generic name.
C) Capitalize only the generic name.
D) The trade name is not capitalized.

Accepted Answer

Generic names are not capitalized when written.The first letter of the trade name is capitalized,and sometimes other letters as well.

Question 19

Which is always true regarding the generic name for a drug?
A) It is capitalized when written.
B) It is the same in any country.
C) It is assigned by a specific manufacturer.
D) It is similar to the chemical name.

Accepted Answer

The generic name is the common drug name used.This name is the same in all countries.The generic drug name is written in lower-case letters,whereas the trade name or brand name of a drug is capitalized.

Question 20

Which medication is absorbed most rapidly?
A) Subcutaneous insulin
B) Intravenous antibiotic
C) Rectal suppository
D) Sublingual nitroglycerin

Accepted Answer

Medications injected intravenously into the bloodstream have the fastest action.

Quiz 4: Foundations and Principles of Pharmacology

Which effect takes place when one drug interferes with the action of another drug?

Diffusion is one of the mechanisms involved in absorption of medications.What is an effective way for the nurse to explain this mechanism of absorption to a patient?

A patient has been on antibiotic therapy every 4 hours for 4 days because of a respiratory infection.The patient feels better and has been increasingly missing regular doses of the medication.What should the nurse advise the patient to do?

The nurse is taking a drug history from a patient about her medication,and the patient tells the nurse that the one aspirin she takes a day gives her stomach pain.The patient is having which kind of reaction?

The nurse is explaining to a patient the difference between a side effect and an adverse reaction.What response should the explanation involve?

A patient is on a cardiac medication and has been drinking alcohol every evening while watching television.On a visit to the clinic,the patient tells the nurse this information and asks if this is all right.What should be the nurse's response?

What is the process by which molecules move from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration?

Drug metabolites can be excreted from the body in which of the following?

The patient tells the nurse that he gets a headache after taking an antihypertensive medication.What is the explanation for this?

A nurse is administering a patient's medication by mouth.The nurse knows that for this medication to be utilized by the body,diffusion,filtration,and osmosis must take place.Which mechanism is the first to be involved in that process?

Which is the most life-threatening type of medication reaction?

A patient is admitted to the hospital for complaints of drowsiness and nausea after taking an over-the-counter medication for seasonal allergies.What potential problem is this?

What can affect the half-life of a drug?

Chemical names are different from trade or brand names because chemical names describe which of the following?

A patient asks why she needs to report all the over-the-counter medications she takes to her health care provider.Which represents the best response to this inquiry?

Vitamin C is a water-soluble medication that is dissolved,filtered,and excreted out of the body through which organ(s) ?

Which explanation by the nurse explains to a patient that water should be taken with a tablet?

What should the nurse do when writing the trade and generic name of a drug?

Which is always true regarding the generic name for a drug?

Which medication is absorbed most rapidly?