DHA Nursing Pharmacology & Drug Administration 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse is preparing to administer morphine 4 mg IV. The vial contains 10 mg/mL. How many mL should be drawn up?
- 0.4 mL (Correct answer)
- 4 mL
- 0.04 mL
- 1 mL
Correct answer: 0.4 mL
Using the formula: Dose required ÷ Concentration = 4 mg ÷ 10 mg/mL = 0.4 mL of the morphine solution.
Question 2: Which antidote is used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression?
- Naloxone (Narcan) (Correct answer)
- Flumazenil
- Protamine sulphate
- Atropine
Correct answer: Naloxone (Narcan)
Naloxone is a competitive opioid receptor antagonist that rapidly reverses opioid-induced respiratory depression, sedation, and analgesia.
Question 3: Which route of drug administration has the fastest onset of action?
- Intravenous (IV) (Correct answer)
- Intramuscular (IM)
- Subcutaneous (SC)
- Oral (PO)
Correct answer: Intravenous (IV)
Intravenous administration delivers drug directly into the bloodstream, bypassing absorption barriers and providing the fastest onset of therapeutic effect.
Question 4: A patient is prescribed warfarin. Which laboratory test is used to monitor therapeutic levels?
- Prothrombin time / INR (PT/INR) (Correct answer)
- Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Serum potassium
Correct answer: Prothrombin time / INR (PT/INR)
Warfarin's anticoagulant effect is monitored using PT/INR, which measures the extrinsic clotting pathway that warfarin inhibits.
Question 5: Which nursing action is most important BEFORE administering any new medication to a patient?
- Check for allergies and verify the five/six rights (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient if they feel like taking the medication
- Double the dose if the patient is obese
- Skip the check if the medication is over-the-counter
Correct answer: Check for allergies and verify the five/six rights
Verifying allergies and applying the five/six rights of medication administration are the fundamental safety steps that prevent adverse drug reactions and medication errors.
Question 6: Digoxin toxicity is most likely to occur when a patient also has which electrolyte imbalance?
- Hypokalaemia (low potassium) (Correct answer)
- Hyperkalaemia (high potassium)
- Hypernatraemia (high sodium)
- Hypercalcaemia (high calcium)
Correct answer: Hypokalaemia (low potassium)
Hypokalaemia potentiates digoxin toxicity because potassium and digoxin compete for the same Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase receptor on cardiac cells; low potassium increases digoxin binding.
DHA Nursing Pharmacology & Drug Administration 1
A nurse is preparing to administer morphine 4 mg IV.
The vial contains 10 mg/mL.
How many mL should be drawn up?