ATI LPN
ATI LPN Pharmacology Exam I Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
The nurse administering medications to a client is aware that the primary reason that most drugs are administered orally is because the oral route:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: While reliability exists, the oral route is less predictable than IV administration due to variability in absorption caused by digestive factors, making it less reliable for rapid or consistent onset. Convenience is the primary advantage of oral administration. It allows ease of self-administration, enabling clients to manage their medications without healthcare provider intervention, making it the most frequently used route. While many clients tolerate oral medications well, others may face challenges, such as difficulty swallowing or gastric irritation, meaning tolerability varies and is not a universal advantage of this route. The oral route does not ensure fast action due to time required for digestion, absorption, and metabolism, making it slower compared to routes like IV or sublingual administration.
Question 2 of 5
Which nursing action is appropriate when pulling the plunger of the syringe back prior to administering medication and blood is aspirated in the syringe?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Blood aspiration indicates vascular entry; discarding prevents IV administration of a drug meant for another route, avoiding rapid absorption risks or contamination. Giving despite blood risks unintended IV delivery; drugs like IM injections aren't formulated for this, potentially causing toxicity or embolism. Changing the needle doesn't address blood-mixed medication; it remains unsafe for injection, as the dose is compromised and potentially contaminated. Omitting skips treatment unnecessarily; the issue is procedural, not the order, and restarting ensures the patient receives the intended therapy safely.
Question 3 of 5
The patient has Levaquin 500 mg ordered once daily. The Levaquin is available in 100 mL of NS and should infuse over 1 hour. Using tubing with a 60 gtt/mL drop factor, how many drops per minute should the Levaquin be infused?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 60 gtts/min assumes 100 mL in 100 minutes; this underestimates the 1-hour order, delivering Levaquin too slowly, risking subtherapeutic antibiotic levels. 100 gtts/min is correct; 100 mL over 1 hour (60 min) with 60 gtts/mL equals 6000 gtts total, divided by 60 minutes matches the ordered rate. 120 gtts/min overestimates; it implies 100 mL in 50 minutes, infusing too fast, potentially causing Levaquin-related side effects like tachycardia or irritation. 200 gtts/min is excessive; 100 mL in 30 minutes doubles the rate, risking toxicity or infusion reactions, far exceeding the 1-hour prescription safely.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse has prepared the 9:00 AM client medications for administration but is called off the unit briefly. Who can distribute these medications to clients?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pharmacy technicians are not authorized to administer medications. Their scope involves preparation and dispensing under supervision, ensuring safety and compliance. Safe practice standards dictate that the preparing nurse administers the medications to ensure accuracy and accountability, minimizing potential errors. Delegating to the head nurse violates medication administration protocols, as accountability rests with the nurse who prepared the medications. Allowing other licensed nurses to distribute medications increases the risk of errors due to lack of firsthand knowledge of preparation specifics.
Question 5 of 5
After receiving Nembutal PO at bedtime, a client is wide awake all night instead of going to sleep. What kind of adverse reaction to a drug does this situation represent?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
Toxic effects involve overdose symptoms like coma; staying awake isn’t toxicity, as Nembutal’s sedative intent is reversed, not exaggerated, in this reaction.
Drug allergy causes immune responses (e.g., rash); insomnia isn’t allergic, but a paradoxical effect, differing from hypersensitivity reactions entirely.
Idiosyncrasy is an unexpected reaction; Nembutal, a barbiturate, should sedate, but wakefulness is an abnormal, individual response, fitting this category precisely.
Tolerance reduces efficacy over time; this acute, opposite reaction to a sedative isn’t tolerance, but an immediate, unpredictable drug response.