"Myasthenia Gravis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's Diseases"
A patient is taking Pyridostigmine (Mestinon) for Myasthenia Gravis. After altering their dose, the patient arrives at the Emergency Room with excessive sweating, tears, urination, vomiting, and diarrhea. What is the priority nursing action?
Administer Atropine Sulfate
The patient was prescribed Alprazolam (Xanax) for acute anxiety attacks. They forgot that they took the medication just one hour before and accidentally doubled their dose of the medication. Now, they are difficult to arouse, have decreased respirations, and are bradycardic. What is the priority nursing action?
Administer Flumazenil (Romazicon)!
A patient is newly diagnosed with depression. What class of antidepressant medications do you anticipate being prescribed first?
Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
What is an important nursing consideration for Phenothiazines?
Lowest-dose possible
What is a generalized MOA of Substance Abuse Antagonist?
discourage renewed opioid use after detoxification
An elderly patient is taking Memantine (Namenda) for Alzheimer’s Disease. What is our priority nursing consideration for this patient?
Fall risk and safety precautions
A patient is admitted to the hospital with tremors, agitation, diaphoresis, tachycardia, and hallucinations. It is found, through examination of the chart, that the patient has alcohol use disorder and seems to be in the beginning stages of withdrawal. Which type of medications would you anticipate to be prescribed?
Benzodiazepines
A patient is started on a new antidepressant. What is the priority assessment during the one week follow-up for this patient?
Suicidal Ideation
What is a common BBW for some antipsychotic medications?
Increased risk of death in older adults with dementia
Besides Bupropion (Wellbutrin) and Nicotine (NicoDerm), what medication is used for smoking cessation?
Varenicline (Chantix)
A patient has been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Based on what signs and symptoms do you expect the diagnosis to be made on?
Tremors, Rigidity, Akinesia, Postural Instability
A patient, when taking their medication history, notes they have been taking Zolpidem (Ambien) for the last 6 months to help with sleep. What is important to educate the patient on?
After a patient has been taking Fluoxetine (Prozac) for a few weeks, they develop rapid blinking, repetitive chewing, lip-smacking, and puffing out cheeks. What is this reaction known as?
Tardive Dyskinesia
A patient is newly diagnosed with Schizophrenia and the physician was talking about starting the patient on Chlorpromazine. What condition in the patient's chart would the nurse determine contraindicates use of this drug?
Glaucoma
A patient is taking Bupropion (Wellbutrin) to treat smoking addiction. What is the BBW for this medication?
Neuropsychiatric reactions
A patient asks you, their nurse, what the function of Carbidopa is in Levodopa-Carbidopa (Sinemet), the drug they take for Parkinson’s Disease. What is the correct response?
It prevents the breakdown of Levodopa before it reaches the blood-brain barrier
What is important to educate your patient that is taking Trazodone (Desyrel) for insomnia?
avoid driving, go to bed, do not combine with alcohol, no risk of tolerance or physical dependence!
After starting Duloxetine (Cymbalta), a patient is brought into the hospital with confusion, increased heart rate, muscle twitching, dry mouth, and dilated pupils. What reaction is occurring?
Serotonin Syndrome
Another patient is prescribed Haloperidol (Haldol) for a psychotic disorder. What aspect in their medical history would cause the nurse concern as it is a contraindication for use?
Seizure disorders, Parkinson's disease
What a concerning symptoms while taking Naltrexone (ReVia)?
Jaundice of the skin and sclera
A patient asks why they have to take Benztropine Mesylate (Cogentin) because “they are tired of all these pills.” What are the correct descriptions of why this medication is a part of the treatment plan?
Treats the tremors that are a side effects of Parkinson's Disease and EPS symptoms.
What are the four indications for use of Benzodiazepines?
1. Acute anxiety attacks
2. Seizures
3. Alcohol withdrawal
4. Sedation for procedures
A patient is taking Isocarboxazid (Marplan) to treat depression. Knowing that this is a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor, what is important to monitor for this patient?
Hypertensive crisis
A patient is on Clozapine (Clozaril) and is admitted to the hospital. Their lab results show WBC of about 750 u/L (low). As the nurse, what is occurring with this patient?
Possible fatal agranulocytosis/neutropenia
A patient is in the hospital to detox from Alcohol use disorder. They were recently admitted, within the last six hours. As the nurse, you administer the prescribed Disulfiram (Antabuse) to begin treatment. However, the patient forgot to mention they last consumed alcohol 7 hours ago. What serious adverse effects would we monitor for this newfound knowledge?
Dysrhythmias, cardiovascular collapse, heart failure, MI, death