ATI RN
NCLEX questions on chemotherapy drugs Questions
Question 1 of 5
A 19-year-old college student man presents to the student health service with a 2-week history of headache, malaise, sore throat, and dry cough, which has become productive over the last 4 days. He states that several of his dorm mates have complained of similar problems in the last few weeks. Pulmonary auscultation reveals scattered coarse rhonchi bilaterally. What is the best treatment for this patient?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Oral erythromycin is effective against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common cause of atypical pneumonia in young adults (e.g., college students), presenting with cough and rhonchi.
Question 2 of 5
An 18-year-old male college student presents to the emergency room with a fever of 103°F and stiff neck for the past 3 h. After a lumbar puncture and Gram stain, the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis is established. Unfortunately, his college did not require students to have the meningococcal vaccine. What prophylaxis should be given to his close contacts in the dorm?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Rifampin is the standard prophylaxis for close contacts of meningococcal meningitis (Neisseria meningitidis), eradicating nasopharyngeal carriage.
Question 3 of 5
A 35-year-old man with HIV disease presents to the emergency department with a severe headache and fever for the past 6 h. His fever was measured to be 103°F. He also has chills, stiff neck, and nausea. He is diagnosed with Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis and started on amphotericin B. What is the mechanism of action of amphotericin B?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Amphotericin B binds ergosterol in fungal membranes, forming pores that cause cell leakage and death, effective against Cryptococcus neoformans.
Question 4 of 5
A 21-year-old female presented to clinic for lesions on her vulva. The painful and itchy lesions have a red base and are vesicular. She recently has had a new sexual partner. The diagnosis of herpes is established and the patient is started on acyclovir. She becomes resistant to acyclovir and it therefore becomes ineffective. What is the mechanism of resistance for acyclovir?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Acyclovir resistance in HSV is primarily due to lack or mutation of viral thymidine kinase, preventing its phosphorylation into the active form needed to inhibit viral DNA polymerase.
Question 5 of 5
A 5-year-old male patient’s parents complain of recurring fever in their son over the course of a month. Past medical history is significant for easy bruisability. A CBC reveals a white blood cell count of 30,000 cells per microliter. A bone marrow biopsy confirms the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This child is started on a chemotherapeutic regimen. Which of the following chemotherapy drugs interferes with DNA synthesis after its metabolite is incorporated into the growing DNA strand?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cytarabine (ara-C) is incorporated into DNA as a false nucleotide, inhibiting DNA polymerase and chain elongation, a key mechanism in treating ALL.