A patient is receiving 10 mEq of potassium chloride in 100 mL of normal saline intravenously (IV) to infuse over 1 hour via infusion pump. The patient has a 22-gauge peripheral IV in his right forearm and reports pain at the insertion site; the nurse notes that the site is reddened, warm, and tender to the touch. Which action would the nurse take?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The patient's symptoms of pain, redness, warmth, and tenderness at the IV site indicate possible infiltration or phlebitis, which can lead to tissue damage or infection. The nurse should stop the infusion and discontinue the IV immediately to prevent further complications. Aspirating and slowing the rate (A) is inappropriate in this situation. Inserting a central line (B) is not the immediate priority. Applying warm compresses (D) may be done after discontinuing the IV, but it is not the first action.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Packed red blood cells (RBCs) are used to treat anemia, a condition characterized by a low red blood cell count or hemoglobin level. Anemia can result from blood loss, chronic disease, or nutritional deficiencies. Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia involve low platelet and white blood cell counts, respectively, and are not treated with RBC transfusions. Hypoalbuminemia involves low albumin levels and requires albumin infusions, not RBCs. Therefore, anemia is the correct indication for this therapy.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Carbidopa enhances levodopa in Parkinson's. It inhibits peripheral (not cerebral) dopa decarboxylase, reducing levodopa breakdown outside the brain, allowing more to cross the blood-brain barrier. This reduces peripheral dopamine, minimizing nausea and hypotension, permitting lower levodopa doses, a true statement. It's compatible with warfarin, doesn't delay bradykinesia improvement (enhances onset), and doesn't abolish on-off effects (related to disease progression). Reduced side effects improve tolerability, a key therapeutic strategy.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: At high doses, aspirin shifts to zero-order kinetics, not first-order, due to saturated metabolism, so that's false. Aspirin irreversibly inhibits COX, not reversibly, distinguishing it from other NSAIDs, making that false. At low doses (≤2 g/day), aspirin retains uric acid, not reduces it (uricosuric at >4 g/day), so that's incorrect. All NSAIDs, including aspirin and ibuprofen, distribute into synovial fluid with repeated dosing, a true statement, aiding arthritis treatment. Combining ibuprofen and aspirin reduces, not increases, efficacy due to competition. Synovial penetration is key to their anti-inflammatory action in joints.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Anatomy, physiology, and microbiology provide foundational knowledge for pharmacology, enabling nurses to understand drug actions, interactions, and patient responses, ultimately enhancing patient care through informed medication administration. Pharmacology as an outgrowth oversimplifies its integration with these sciences. Curriculum mandates explain requirements but not their value. Understanding these subjects is essential, yet the broader goal is applying this to care, not just comprehension. Linking them to patient outcomes-like knowing how antibiotics target bacteria (microbiology) or how drugs affect organs (anatomy/physiology)-grounds pharmacology in practical, holistic nursing practice, making it the strongest rationale.