A neighbor tells nurse Maureen he has to have surgery and is reluctant to have any blood product transfusions because of a fear of contracting an infection. He asks the nurse what are his options. The nurse teaches the person that the safest blood product is:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: An autologous blood product is the safest option because it involves the patient donating their own blood before surgery, eliminating the risk of transfusion reactions or infections from donor blood. Allogeneic products come from other donors and carry a small risk of infection or incompatibility. Directed donations are from known donors but still carry some risks. Cross-matching ensures compatibility but does not eliminate infection risks. Therefore, autologous donation is the safest choice.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Warfarin is highly bioavailable (near 100%), so 90% is close and true. It doesn't inactivate vitamin K but inhibits vitamin K epoxide reductase, reducing clotting factor synthesis, making that false. It can paradoxically cause venous thrombosis (e.g., skin necrosis) early in therapy due to protein C depletion, a true statement. Initial loading is typically 5-10 mg, not 0.5 mg, so that's false. Metronidazole increases its effect via metabolism inhibition, not bactericidal action. The thrombosis risk is a rare but serious side effect, highlighting the need for bridging with heparin during initiation.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Finasteride (Proscar), a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, reduces prostate size in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by blocking dihydrotestosterone (DHT) production, shrinking glandular tissue and easing urinary obstruction. Relaxing penile smooth muscle is the role of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors like sildenafil, not finasteride. It lowers DHT, not testosterone, and may even slightly increase circulating testosterone, but that's not its aim. Stimulating RNA synthesis relates to androgens' anabolic effects, not finasteride's mechanism. Shrinking the prostate is its core function, taking months to reduce symptoms, distinct from acute smooth muscle relaxation or hormonal boosts, aligning with BPH management goals.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: In pharmacology, understanding pharmacokinetics is crucial as it deals with how the body processes a medication. The correct answer is C) pharmacokinetics. Enzymatic activity that changes a medication into a less active form falls under pharmacokinetics as it involves processes like metabolism and excretion that affect the concentration of the active drug in the body. Option A) pharmacodynamics refers to how drugs exert their effects on the body, not how the body processes the drug. Option B) active transport involves the movement of drugs across cell membranes, not the enzymatic breakdown of drugs. Option D) diffusion is about the passive movement of drugs across cell membranes, not the enzymatic transformation into less active forms. Educationally, this question highlights the importance of understanding pharmacokinetics in the context of drug action and metabolism. Knowing how drugs are metabolized can help healthcare professionals anticipate potential drug interactions, dosage adjustments, and individual variations in drug response, ultimately leading to safe and effective medication management.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The limbic system (e.g., amygdala) drives anxiety-emotional response-while the reticular activating system (RAS) regulates sleep-wake, impacting insomnia, per neuroanatomy. Frontal lobes plan, not directly control these. Thalamus relays, not initiates. Hypothalamus affects sleep but less anxiety. Limbic-RAS pairing fits, answering precisely.