ATI RN
Central Nervous System Stimulants and Related Drugs NCLEX Style Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Pharmacologic actions of acetylsalicylic acid include all of the following EXCEPT:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) inhibits COX enzymes, reducing prostaglandin synthesis (choice D), yielding analgesic (choice A) and antipyretic (choice B) effects by decreasing pain mediators and hypothalamic heat regulation, respectively. However, it inhibits, not promotes, platelet aggregation (choice C) by blocking thromboxane A2 production, a pro-aggregatory prostaglandin, making it antiplatelet, used in cardiovascular prophylaxis. Promotion of aggregation would contradict its mechanism. This exception tests understanding of aspirin's unique antiplatelet action among NSAIDs, critical for its clinical applications.
Question 2 of 5
Which of the following is a GABA transaminase inhibitor?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Vigabatrin inhibits GABA transaminase
Question 3 of 5
The nurse witnesses a patient’s seizure involving generalized contraction of the body followed by jerkiness of the arms and legs. The nurse reports this as which type of seizure?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Tonic-clonic seizure. This type of seizure involves both tonic (muscle stiffness) and clonic (jerking movements) phases, which align with the patient's presentation of generalized body contractions followed by jerkiness of the arms and legs. Myoclonic seizures (A) involve brief, sudden muscle contractions. Absence seizures (B) are characterized by brief lapses in consciousness without convulsions. Psychomotor seizures (D) involve complex motor behaviors and altered consciousness, which do not match the patient's symptoms. Therefore, based on the description provided, the most fitting type of seizure is a tonic-clonic seizure.
Question 4 of 5
A 54-year-old woman suffering from initial insomnia was prescribed a hypnotic drug that increases the activity of a major neurotransmitter system in the brain. Which of the following neurotransmitter systems was most likely involved in the therapeutic action of that drug?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the treatment of insomnia, drugs that enhance GABAergic activity are commonly prescribed as they help promote relaxation and sleep. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and increasing its activity can lead to sedative effects, making it a likely target for a hypnotic drug.
Question 5 of 5
A woman enters your clinic with an enlarged thyroid and you suspect simple adenomatous goiter. Which of the following would be the best treatment if the laboratory results shows low levels of free T3 and T4?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Levothyroxine (choice D) treats hypothyroid goiter (low T3/T4) by replacing thyroid hormone, shrinking the gland. TSH infusion (choice A) worsens it, Propranolol (choice B) manages hyperthyroid symptoms, Propylthiouracil (choice C) reduces hormone in hyperthyroidism. Levothyroxine is appropriate.