Diabetes
Which term is used to indicate an elevated blood sugar (glucose) level in a patient?
Hyperglycemia
A newly pregnant woman placed on folic acid states she does not want to take any drugs during her pregnancy. What is your best response?
“Folic acid is given to prevent neural tube defects of the spinal cord.”
You are preparing to instill otic drops into the ear canal of an adult. What is the correct technique for giving otic drugs to an adult?
Pull the external ear up and back
A patient who is taking insulin each morning develops symptoms of nervousness, hunger, headache, and difficulty concentrating. Which adverse effect of insulin is this patient experiencing?
Hypoglycemia
You are preparing to teach a patient about the use of short-acting insulin. Which instruction should be stressed to the patient regarding this drug?
“You should eat a meal within 15 minutes of giving yourself the injection.”
Which oral antidiabetic drug belongs to the biguanide class?
Metformin (Glucophage)
You are teaching a patient with a dietary deficiency of riboflavin about foods that contain riboflavin that should be part of the patient’s diet. Which of the following foods would be recommended?
Dairy products
A patient you are caring for has been started on niacin as part of a regimen to reduce hyperlipidemia. Which unpleasant side effects of niacin should you teach this patient to expect?
Skin warmth and flushing
A fasting glucose level is considered normal within what range?
70-90 mg/dL
Which term refers to constriction of the pupil of the eye?
Miosis
In teaching a diabetic patient about DPP 4 inhibitors, which symptom should you tell the patient to report as a sign of a potential serious complication from this drug?
Abdominal pain
A patient has been admitted for suspected vitamin A overdose. What symptoms would you expect the patient to exhibit?
Yellowing of the skin on the nose and ears and abdominal pain
Which drug category is associated with pyridoxine deficiency?
Oral contraceptives
A child presents to the clinic with pain and inflammation in his right ear canal. He is diagnosed with an ear infection. There is no drainage present and the tympanic membrane is intact. List the appropriate drug route for treating this condition.
Topical route
You are teaching a patient about taking over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Which important safety information should you include in your teaching plan?
“OTC drugs often interact with other drugs, and with food or alcohol.”
What is the main reason that insulin is needed as drug therapy for people who have type 1 diabetes?
The beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin
A patient with depression tells you she is using St. John’s wort to treat her symptoms because she would rather use a natural product, as she already takes many prescription drugs. What is your best response?
“Avoid taking St. John’s wort because it interferes with many prescription drugs.”
Which drug group for glaucoma has the side effect of darkening the iris color?
Prostaglandin agonists
A parent presents to the clinic tells with her 4-year-old child and tells you that he has some clear drainage coming from the right ear. This drainage is sometimes tinged with blood. The parent asks if the ear canal should be irrigated. List the best response by the LPN/LVN.
“The ear should not be irrigated when there is drainage present.”
A young, female patient with diabetes mellitus who is taking an oral antidiabetic drug comes in for a regularly scheduled clinic appointment. She tells you that is currently taking an oral contraceptive agent for birth control. What is your best response?
“Oral contraceptives can interact with drugs for diabetes, reducing their effectiveness.”
For which patient would a biguanide antidiabetic drug be contraindicated?
A patient with known kidney disease
A 48-year-old male has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He has been prescribed an insulin sensitizer (thiazolidinedione) drug. Which precaution regarding alcohol use is important to teach this patient?
“Avoid alcohol while taking this drug.”
A patient with glaucoma reports a possible infection in the affected eye and asks if the usual dose of latanoprost (Xalatan) drops should be instilled. What is your best response?
“Do not take this dose until your healthcare provider is notified.”
What characteristic of insulin makes insulin a “high-alert” drug?
Serious harm can occur if the wrong dose is given
You are about to give apraclonidine (Iopidine) eye drops to a patient with glaucoma. What assessment should you perform before giving this drug?
Check the patient’s pulse and blood pressure