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Geriatric Pharmacology Flashcards

7 cards from real CCP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Geriatric Pharmacology flashcards as text

  1. A 75-year-old with chronic pain is prescribed an NSAID. Which complication is most concerning due to age-related changes in renal prostaglandin dependence?

    Answer: Acute kidney injury

    Elderly patients rely more heavily on prostaglandins to maintain renal blood flow, making NSAID-induced acute kidney injury especially common in this population.

  2. Which antihypertensive drug class is associated with increased risk of hyponatremia in elderly patients, particularly women?

    Answer: Thiazide diuretics

    Thiazide diuretics, especially hydrochlorothiazide, frequently cause hyponatremia in elderly patients due to impaired water excretion and syndrome of inappropriate ADH.

  3. An elderly patient on digoxin develops nausea, visual disturbances, and bradycardia. Which electrolyte abnormality most likely precipitated toxicity?

    Answer: Hypokalemia

    Hypokalemia sensitizes the myocardium to digoxin toxicity by competing for the same Na-K-ATPase binding site, even at therapeutic digoxin levels.

  4. According to the STOPP/START criteria, which medication should be STARTED in an eligible elderly patient that is commonly omitted?

    Answer: Prophylactic anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation with high stroke risk

    START criteria identify underuse of beneficial therapies; anticoagulation for AF with high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2) is frequently omitted in elderly due to bleeding concerns.

  5. Which opioid is listed on the Beers Criteria as particularly problematic in elderly patients due to its toxic metabolite accumulation?

    Answer: Meperidine

    Meperidine's metabolite normeperidine accumulates in elderly due to reduced renal clearance and causes CNS excitation, seizures, and delirium.

  6. What is the primary pharmacodynamic change that makes elderly patients more sensitive to benzodiazepines at lower plasma concentrations?

    Answer: Increased GABA-A receptor sensitivity in the CNS

    Aging increases sensitivity of GABA-A receptors to benzodiazepines, causing greater CNS effects (sedation, cognitive impairment, falls) at the same plasma levels.

  7. A consultant pharmacist reviews a 78-year-old's medication list and identifies anticholinergic burden as high. Which tool is most appropriate for quantifying this risk?

    Answer: Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale

    The Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale assigns scores to individual medications to quantify cumulative anticholinergic burden and cognitive risk.