NCLEX Pharmacology: Cardiovascular Medications 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient on digoxin reports nausea, visual halos, and a heart rate of 52 bpm. What should the nurse suspect?
- Digoxin toxicity (Correct answer)
- Therapeutic response
- Hypertensive crisis
- Allergic reaction
Correct answer: Digoxin toxicity
Nausea, yellow-green halos, and bradycardia are classic signs of digoxin toxicity.
Question 2: Before administering digoxin, the nurse should assess which electrolyte because its imbalance increases toxicity risk?
- Potassium (Correct answer)
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Chloride
Correct answer: Potassium
Hypokalemia increases the risk of digoxin toxicity.
Question 3: What is the antidote for severe, life-threatening digoxin toxicity?
- Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind) (Correct answer)
- Protamine sulfate
- Vitamin K
- Naloxone
Correct answer: Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind)
Digoxin immune Fab binds and neutralizes digoxin in severe toxicity.
Question 4: The nurse should hold a digoxin dose and notify the provider if an adult's apical pulse is below what rate?
- 60 bpm (Correct answer)
- 80 bpm
- 100 bpm
- 50 bpm
Correct answer: 60 bpm
Digoxin is held if the apical pulse is below 60 bpm in an adult.
Question 5: Digoxin produces which therapeutic effect on the heart?
- Increased contractility and decreased heart rate (Correct answer)
- Decreased contractility and increased heart rate
- Increased heart rate only
- No effect on contractility
Correct answer: Increased contractility and decreased heart rate
Digoxin has a positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effect.
Question 6: What is the therapeutic serum range for digoxin?
- 0.5–2.0 ng/mL (Correct answer)
- 5–10 ng/mL
- 10–20 ng/mL
- 0.05–0.1 ng/mL
Correct answer: 0.5–2.0 ng/mL
The therapeutic digoxin level is 0.5 to 2.0 ng/mL.
Question 7: A patient taking digoxin and furosemide together is at increased risk for which complication?
- Hypokalemia-induced digoxin toxicity (Correct answer)
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypernatremia
- Fluid overload
Correct answer: Hypokalemia-induced digoxin toxicity
Furosemide causes potassium loss, raising the risk of digoxin toxicity.
NCLEX Pharmacology: Cardiovascular Medications 2
A patient on digoxin reports nausea, visual halos, and a heart rate of 52 bpm.
What should the nurse suspect?