ATI LPN
NCLEX PN Pharmacology Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient's nutritional intake and laboratory results reflect hypoalbuminemia. This is critical to prescribing because:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Choice A is correct because hypoalbuminemia lowers albumin levels, which bind drugs in plasma; this alters distribution to tissues, potentially increasing free drug concentrations and affecting efficacy or toxicity.
Choice B is incorrect as solubility relates to absorption, not albumin binding.
Choice C is wrong because less albumin means more free drug, not less, due to reduced binding.
Choice D is incorrect since albumin-bound drugs are less readily excreted; lower binding prolongs drug presence in circulation.
Question 2 of 5
Drugs that are receptor agonists may demonstrate what property?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
Choice C is correct because receptor agonists, which activate receptors, can lead to desensitization or downregulation with continuous use as the body reduces receptor sensitivity or number to compensate.
Choice A is incorrect as irreversible binding is rare and not typical for agonists.
Choice B is wrong because upregulation occurs with antagonists, not agonists.
Choice D is incorrect since agonists typically show a direct, not inverse, concentration-action relationship.
Question 3 of 5
All drugs continue to act in the body until they are changed or excreted. The ability of the body to excrete drugs via the renal system would be increased by:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale:
Choice D is correct because unbinding a drug from plasma proteins increases its free fraction, allowing more to be filtered and excreted by the kidneys, enhancing renal clearance.
Choice A is incorrect as reduced kidney perfusion decreases excretion.
Choice B is wrong because chronic renal disease impairs excretion, not increases it.
Choice C is incorrect since competition for transport sites would reduce, not enhance, excretion.
Question 4 of 5
The major reason for not crushing a sustained-release capsule is that, if crushed, the coated beads of the drugs could possibly result in:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Choice B is correct because crushing a sustained-release capsule releases all drug at once, bypassing controlled release, which can lead to toxic levels quickly.
Choice A is incorrect as disintegration isn't harmful itself, just alters release.
Choice C is wrong because malabsorption isn't the primary risk—overdose is.
Choice D is incorrect since deterioration implies drug degradation, not the immediate danger of crushing.
Question 5 of 5
A client asks the NP about the differences in drug effects between men and women. What is known about the differences between the pharmacokinetics of men and women?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
Choice C is correct because women generally have a higher percentage of body fat, affecting the volume of distribution for lipophilic drugs, a key pharmacokinetic difference.
Choice A is incorrect as body temperature differences are minimal and don't significantly alter pharmacokinetics.
Choice B is wrong because men, not women, typically have greater muscle mass.
Choice D is incorrect since subjective factors aren't proven pharmacokinetic variables.