The nurse is aware that the following solutions are routinely used to flush an IV device before and after the administration of blood to a patient is:

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: 0.9 percent sodium chloride, also known as normal saline, is routinely used to flush an IV device before and after the administration of blood to a patient. Normal saline is isotonic, meaning it has a similar concentration of salt and water as the body's cells. This makes it compatible for use in various medical procedures, including flushing IV devices to ensure patency and prevent clotting. Other solutions like 5 percent dextrose in water, sterile water, and heparin sodium are not typically used for flushing IV devices before and after blood administration.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Furosemide is a loop diuretic. Loop diuretics act on the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in the kidney to inhibit sodium and chloride reabsorption, leading to increased excretion of water and electrolytes such as potassium and calcium. Loop diuretics are potent and are often used to treat conditions like edema, heart failure, and hypertension. Furosemide is commonly utilized to manage conditions such as congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and edema associated with certain medical conditions.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The most important patient teaching for patients taking Digoxin is to regularly monitor and take their pulse. Digoxin is a medication used to treat certain heart conditions by helping the heart beat stronger and more regularly. Monitoring the pulse is important because Digoxin can affect the heart rate, and if the pulse is too slow or irregular, it may indicate an adverse reaction to the medication. Patients should be taught how to check their pulse and to contact their healthcare provider if they notice any significant changes in their heart rate while taking Digoxin. Taking the pulse is crucial in ensuring the medication is being tolerated well and is working effectively.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Mixed agonist-antagonist drugs exhibit both agonistic and antagonistic properties at different receptor sites. These drugs can act as agonists at certain receptors while acting as antagonists at other receptors. This classification of drugs is distinct from pure agonists, pure antagonists, or partial agonists, as mixed agonist-antagonist drugs have a more complex mechanism of action. An example of a mixed agonist-antagonist drug is buprenorphine, which acts as a partial agonist at the mu opioid receptor and an antagonist at the kappa opioid receptor.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Salicylic acid, which is the parent compound of the salicylate drug class, does not exhibit analgesic effects. In order to have analgesic effects, such as pain relief, salicylic acid needs to be modified into derivatives like acetyl salicylic acid (aspirin), sodium salicylate, salicylamide, and diflunisal. These derivatives possess analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory properties due to their ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX) and subsequently decrease prostaglandin production.