ATI RN
ATI Practice Exam Pharmacology The Hematologic System Questions
Question 1 of 5
Three days after a patient's total colectomy and ileostomy, he has a nasogastric tube for continuous suction and a Foley catheter for continuous drainage. The night nurse reports a high output from the ileostomy. The patient's pulse is irregular, and he reports leg weakness. Based on this situation, the nurse would correctly suspect what type of imbalance?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The patient's symptoms of irregular pulse and leg weakness, along with high ileostomy output, suggest hypokalemia. High ileostomy output can lead to excessive loss of potassium, a key electrolyte responsible for muscle and nerve function. Hypokalemia can cause muscle weakness and cardiac arrhythmias, which align with the patient's symptoms. Hyperkalemia (B) would typically cause muscle cramps and cardiac abnormalities like peaked T-waves, not weakness. Hyponatremia (C) and hypercalcemia (D) do not typically present with these specific symptoms.
Question 2 of 5
Louie, who is to receive a blood transfusion asks the nurse what is the most common type of infection he could receive from the transfusion. The nurse teaches him that approximately 1 in 250,000 patients contract:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hepatitis C infection is the most common transfusion-transmitted infection, with an estimated risk of 1 in 250,000 units of blood. While the risk of HIV and hepatitis B has significantly decreased due to improved screening and testing, hepatitis C remains a concern. West Nile virus is rare and region-specific. The nurse should reassure Louie that the blood supply is rigorously tested, but hepatitis C is the most likely infection, albeit still rare.
Question 3 of 5
Which of the following is the most effective in the management of absence seizures?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Absence seizures, brief lapses in consciousness, require specific antiepileptics. Carbamazepine, effective for focal seizures, can worsen absence seizures by enhancing sodium channel activity. Topiramate and clobazam have broader uses but limited efficacy here. Phenytoin suits tonic-clonic, not absence. Ethosuximide reduces T-type calcium currents in thalamic neurons, directly targeting absence seizure mechanisms, making it most effective. Its specificity ensures rapid control, critical for pediatric epilepsy management.
Question 4 of 5
Age associated changes in pharmacokinetics include:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Aging reduces creatinine clearance in about two-thirds of individuals due to declining renal function, a true statement impacting drug excretion. Body fat increases, not decreases, with age, altering distribution of lipophilic drugs, so that's false. Total body water decreases, not increases, affecting hydrophilic drugs. Conjugation (phase II) is less affected than oxidation (phase I) by age, making that false. Absorption isn't significantly altered by age alone. Reduced renal clearance is a critical age-related change, necessitating dose adjustments for renally cleared drugs like digoxin.
Question 5 of 5
A client has been using sildenafil (Viagra) for several months. Which client reports would the nurse interpret as an adverse effect of this medication?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Sildenafil (Viagra) commonly causes nasal congestion due to vasodilation affecting nasal blood vessels, a frequent adverse effect tied to its mechanism. Earache isn't a recognized side effect-sildenafil targets vascular smooth muscle, not auditory systems. Blurry vision occurs from PDE-6 inhibition in the retina, another known issue. Priapism, a sustained erection, is a rare but serious risk requiring urgent care. Nasal congestion stands out as a typical, manageable effect, reflecting sildenafil's systemic vasodilatory impact, distinct from less common visual or emergent issues, and aligns with patient reports needing monitoring.