Meds 1
What types of drugs have the main purpose of relieving pain by changing the patient’s perception of pain or by reducing painful stimulation at its source?
Analgesics
Who defines the patients pain if the patient is nonverbal?
Nurse assesses nonverbal indicators
Which drug classification would you expect a patient who was just diagnosed with a gastric ulcer to be prescribed?
A proton pump inhibitor
Which laboratory value is most likely to be elevated in a patient presenting with acute gout?
Uric acid
Inflammation is the result of tissue and blood vessel reactions to white blood cells. What are the symptoms associated with inflammation?
Pain
Warmth
Swelling
Redness
Loss of function
A patient who has been prescribed a topical corticosteroid cream for the treatment of a rash tells you that he now has a small, reddened, open wound located on the anterior aspect of the right foot. He asks you if he can apply this same cream to this new wound to reduce the redness. What is your best response?
“You should not apply topical steroids to open wounds.”
A patient with diabetes has been prescribed a course of prednisone to treat an acute exacerbation of asthma. Which of the following instructions should you give to the patient before he is discharged home?
Monitor your blood sugar regularly
An elderly patient taking a loop diuretic comes in for a routine visit. During your interview with the patient, she informs you that she frequently uses a stimulant laxative. Which of the following problems may arise from frequent laxative use?
c. Electrolyte imbalance
A patient with a history of alcoholism is taking aspirin on a regular basis for general aches and pains. The patient reports feeling weak and dizzy, and has developed abdominal pain 7 days ago, which is increasing in severity. What adverse drug effect might this patient be experiencing?
Gastrointestinal bleeding due to the combination of aspirin and alcohol
The postoperative orders for a large adult patient who has just arrived on your unit after major abdominal surgery reads Morphine 10 mg IM every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain. What is the best schedule for pain relief, following the physician’s orders, during the first postoperative day for this patient?
Ask the patient every 4-6 hours if the pain requires pain medicine
Which of the following symptoms is associated with aspirin toxicity?
Tinnitus
A patient with joint inflammation is prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug. The patient asks you how this drug works to address this problem. What is your best response?
Anti-inflammatory drugs reduce pain and limit blood vessel responses to joint injury
Which of the following assessments is most important to perform on a patient newly prescribed to take methocarbamol for severe muscle pain?
Blood pressure and heart rate
A male patient taking daily aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular complications informs you that he is planning to have a tooth extraction next week. What correct information should be provided to this patient?
“Stop taking the aspirin 7 days before the dental procedure.”
A mother brings her febrile infant to the pediatric clinic for evaluation. The infant has a temperature of 102 degrees. The mother tells you that she wishes she had given the baby a dose of liquid aspirin before leaving the house to bring down the baby’s temperature. What is your best response?
Aspirin should not be given to infants with acute illness.
You are teaching a patient with rheumatoid arthritis about giving subcutaneous adalimumab (Humira) at home. What instructions should be included in this patient’s teaching plan?
Rotate the injection site of the thighs and abdomen frequently
A patient on long-term corticosteroid therapy appears to have frequent colds and upper respiratory infections and is concerned that something may be wrong. What is your best response?
“ Taking corticosteroids for a long time can reduce your immunity.”
You are caring for a female patient who is paralyzed from the waist down and has a large open wound on her right heel. When asked about her pain in that foot, she tells you it is a 0 on a 0 to 10 pain rating scale. What does this response indicate?
The patient’s paralysis prevents the patient’s brain from perceiving the pain
A patient with severe asthma who has been taking systemic corticosteroids for 2 weeks tells you he is feeling better and would like to stop taking this drug today. What is your best response?
“The dose of this drug will need to be tapered down over time to prevent complications.”
Nonverbal pain scales, such as the FLACC pain rating scale, may be used for children or those who cannot express their pain verbally or on a pain scale of 1-10. This pain scale includes observing which of the following?
Clenched jaw
Difficult to comfort
Grimacing
A patient who is taking a disease-modig antirheumatic drug (DMARD) has just returned from surgery. What potential complication would you report to the RN or healthcare provider directly related to the use of DMARDs before surgery?
Redness and drainage at the incision site
A patient who developed vomiting has been given 10 mg of prochlorperazine (Compazine) IM. What instructions should you provide to this patient?
“Call for assistance when getting out of bed.”
When assessing the blood pressure of a patient receiving pentazocine (Talwin) 30 mg orally for pain control two days after surgery, the reading is 166/100, which is much higher than the patient’s presurgical blood pressure. What is your best action?
Assess the patient for other cardiac changes
If a patient taking an opioid agent, such as Morphine, has received too much medication and a possible overdose, how can the effects be reversed?
Give an opioid antagonist, such as Narcan (naloxone)
A patient with acute gout attack asks you why allopurinol cannot be used at this time. What is your best response?
“Allopurinol is used only for the prevention of gout attacks.”