LVN Geriatric Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An elderly patient is on multiple medications. Which term describes the use of five or more medications simultaneously, common in older adults?
- Polypharmacy (Correct answer)
- Pharmacokinetics
- Synergism
- Contraindication
Correct answer: Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy refers to the concurrent use of five or more medications and increases the risk of adverse drug reactions in elderly patients.
Question 2: Which age-related change most significantly slows drug elimination in older adults?
- Decreased gastric pH
- Reduced renal function (Correct answer)
- Increased body fat
- Decreased serum albumin
Correct answer: Reduced renal function
Reduced renal function (decreased GFR) is the primary reason drugs are eliminated more slowly in elderly patients, raising toxicity risk.
Question 3: An 82-year-old resident is prescribed a benzodiazepine for sleep. What is the priority nursing concern?
- Increased risk of dependency
- Increased fall risk (Correct answer)
- GI upset and nausea
- Potential for hypertension
Correct answer: Increased fall risk
Benzodiazepines cause sedation and impaired balance in elderly patients, significantly increasing fall and fracture risk.
Question 4: When administering medications to an older adult with dysphagia, which action is most appropriate?
- Crush all tablets and mix with applesauce
- Consult the pharmacist for liquid alternatives or crushable medications (Correct answer)
- Split capsules open and sprinkle contents
- Dissolve tablets in hot water
Correct answer: Consult the pharmacist for liquid alternatives or crushable medications
The pharmacist should be consulted to identify safe alternatives, as not all medications are safe to crush or dissolve.
Question 5: A 78-year-old patient shows confusion, urinary retention, and dry mouth after a new medication is started. These signs are consistent with which drug effect?
- Serotonin syndrome
- Anticholinergic toxicity (Correct answer)
- Opioid overdose
- Salicylate toxicity
Correct answer: Anticholinergic toxicity
Anticholinergic toxicity presents with confusion, urinary retention, dry mouth, and constipation, and is especially dangerous in elderly patients.
Question 6: Which laboratory value is most important to monitor in an elderly patient receiving digoxin therapy?
- Serum sodium
- Serum potassium (Correct answer)
- Blood glucose
- Serum calcium
Correct answer: Serum potassium
Hypokalemia potentiates digoxin toxicity; monitoring serum potassium is essential in elderly patients on digoxin.
Question 7: An LVN is reviewing medications for an 80-year-old patient. Which drug is on the Beers Criteria as potentially inappropriate for older adults?
- Lisinopril
- Metformin
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) (Correct answer)
- Atorvastatin
Correct answer: Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Diphenhydramine is listed on the Beers Criteria because its strong anticholinergic effects increase confusion and fall risk in elderly patients.
LVN Geriatric Care 2
An elderly patient is on multiple medications.
Which term describes the use of five or more medications simultaneously, common in older adults?