ATI LPN
Test Bank for Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice
Chapter 24 : Bipolar Disorders: Management of Mood Lability Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client with bipolar disorder. The nurse would most likely expect to find a history of which of the following?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Panic disorder (
A) commonly co-occurs with bipolar disorder due to shared neurobiological pathways and anxiety?s prevalence in mood disorders. Schizophrenia (
B) and delusional disorder (
C) are psychotic disorders with distinct features, and PTSD (
D) is less commonly associated with bipolar disorder.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is developing a presentation for families who have members that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorders. When describing this condition to the group, which of the following would the nurse most likely include?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Bipolar disorder carries a high suicide risk during both depressive and manic episodes (
C), due to despair in depression and impulsivity in mania. Episodes often persist or worsen with age (
A), stressors (
B) are triggers but not primary causes, and risk-taking is more common in mania, not depression (
D).
Question 3 of 5
A client is to receive lithium therapy as part of the treatment plan for bipolar disorder. When reviewing the client?s medication history, which agents would alert the nurse to the possibility that a decrease in lithium dosage may be needed? Select all that apply.
Correct Answer: B,C
Rationale: Hydrochlorothiazide (
B) and indomethacin (
C) reduce lithium excretion, increasing lithium levels and requiring potential dose reduction to avoid toxicity. Lisinopril (
A), caffeine (
D), and aspirin (E) have minimal impact on lithium pharmacokinetics.
Question 4 of 5
A client with bipolar disorder is receiving divalproex sodium as part of the treatment plan. When monitoring the client?s blood level for this drug, which level would alert the nurse to the need to change the dosage?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The therapeutic range for divalproex sodium (valproic acid) is 50?100 µg/mL (often reported as ng/mL in some contexts). A level of 115 ng/mL (
D) is above this range, indicating potential toxicity and the need for dosage reduction. Levels of 30, 55, and 75 ng/mL (A, B,
C) are below or within the therapeutic range.
Question 5 of 5
A client with bipolar disorder having experienced a depressive episode is prescribed lamotrigine. After teaching the client about this medication, the nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the client states which of the following?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Lamotrigine (
A) carries a risk of serious skin rashes, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, requiring immediate reporting. Blood testing (
B) is not routine for lamotrigine, salt intake (
C) is irrelevant, and liver function (
D) is less commonly affected compared to other mood stabilizers.