Pharmacology in Addictions Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real CARN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology in Addictions Nursing flashcards as text
A nurse is preparing to administer naloxone to a patient with suspected opioid overdose who is also opioid-dependent. The anticipated risk after naloxone administration is:
Answer: Precipitated withdrawal with agitation, vomiting, and potential violence
Naloxone rapidly reverses opioid effects in dependent patients, precipitating acute withdrawal characterized by agitation, vomiting, diaphoresis, and combativeness.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban) aids smoking cessation through which primary mechanism?
Answer: Inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, reducing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms
Bupropion inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, partially compensating for the dopaminergic deficit during nicotine cessation and reducing cravings.
A patient with severe alcohol use disorder develops delirium tremens 72 hours after last drink. Which pharmacological intervention is the first-line treatment?
Answer: High-dose benzodiazepines titrated to symptom control using CIWA-Ar
Benzodiazepines are first-line for delirium tremens; they enhance GABA-A activity to suppress CNS hyperexcitability and are titrated using symptom-triggered protocols like CIWA-Ar.
Which cytochrome P450 enzyme is most responsible for methadone metabolism, and why does this matter clinically?
Answer: CYP3A4; inducers like rifampin can precipitate opioid withdrawal by accelerating methadone breakdown
CYP3A4 is the primary methadone metabolizer; inducers like rifampin, carbamazepine, and phenytoin dramatically accelerate metabolism and can precipitate withdrawal.
A CARN nurse reviews the pharmacology of lofexidine (Lucemyra) for opioid withdrawal management. Which statement best describes its advantage over clonidine?
Answer: Lofexidine is an FDA-approved non-opioid with less hypotensive effect than clonidine, improving tolerability
Lofexidine is the first FDA-approved non-opioid for opioid withdrawal management and causes less hypotension than clonidine due to greater selectivity for peripheral alpha-2 receptors.
A patient is taking methadone for OUD and reports using benzodiazepines obtained on the street. The nurse's primary concern is:
Answer: Synergistic CNS and respiratory depression significantly increasing overdose risk
Methadone and benzodiazepines both cause CNS and respiratory depression; combined use dramatically increases the risk of fatal overdose through synergistic effects.
In a patient with co-occurring opioid use disorder and chronic pain, which pharmacological consideration is most important when prescribing buprenorphine?
Answer: Buprenorphine provides partial analgesia and can treat both conditions; dose splitting (TID/QID) may optimize pain control
Buprenorphine has analgesic properties at standard doses, and dividing the daily dose into multiple administrations can improve pain coverage while maintaining OUD treatment.