Pharmacology and Medication Administration Flashcards
6 cards from real BSN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pharmacology and Medication Administration flashcards as text
A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin to a patient. Which assessment finding should prompt the nurse to withhold the medication and notify the provider?
Answer: Apical pulse of 58 bpm
Digoxin should be withheld if the apical pulse is below 60 bpm in adults, as bradycardia may indicate toxicity.
Which electrolyte imbalance increases a patient's risk for digoxin toxicity?
Answer: Hypokalemia
Hypokalemia potentiates digoxin toxicity because low potassium levels increase myocardial sensitivity to the drug.
A patient is receiving IV heparin and the aPTT result is 120 seconds (normal therapeutic range 60–100 seconds). What is the nurse's priority action?
Answer: Notify the provider and anticipate a dose reduction
An aPTT above the therapeutic range indicates supratherapeutic anticoagulation, so the nurse must notify the provider to adjust the dose.
The nurse is teaching a patient about warfarin therapy. Which food should the patient be instructed to consume consistently rather than avoid entirely?
Answer: Foods high in vitamin K such as leafy green vegetables
Patients on warfarin should maintain a consistent vitamin K intake rather than eliminating it, because sudden changes alter INR.
A patient with type 2 diabetes is prescribed metformin. Which condition is an absolute contraindication to metformin use?
Answer: Renal impairment with GFR below 30 mL/min
Severe renal impairment (GFR < 30 mL/min) contraindicates metformin because the drug accumulates and causes lactic acidosis.
Which statement by a patient indicates correct understanding of taking oral iron supplements?
Answer: 'I will take my iron pill with a glass of orange juice.'
Vitamin C in orange juice enhances iron absorption, making it the best choice for taking oral iron supplements.