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OCC Pharmacology & Therapeutics Flashcards

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

Read the first 6 OCC Pharmacology & Therapeutics flashcards as text

  1. Which NSAID is preferred in elderly patients due to its shorter half-life and lack of active metabolites?

    Answer: Ibuprofen

    Ibuprofen has a shorter half-life and no active metabolites, making it preferable to longer-acting NSAIDs like naproxen or piroxicam in elderly patients.

  2. A patient with COPD and hypertension should avoid which antihypertensive class due to risk of bronchospasm?

    Answer: Non-selective beta-blockers

    Non-selective beta-blockers block beta-2 receptors in bronchial smooth muscle, causing bronchoconstriction in COPD patients.

  3. Lithium toxicity is most likely to occur with which concurrent medication?

    Answer: NSAIDs

    NSAIDs reduce renal prostaglandin synthesis, decreasing renal lithium clearance and raising lithium serum levels to toxic range.

  4. Which antibiotic class inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs)?

    Answer: Beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins)

    Beta-lactam antibiotics inhibit transpeptidation of peptidoglycan by irreversibly binding penicillin-binding proteins, disrupting cell wall synthesis.

  5. A patient taking SSRIs for depression also takes tramadol for pain. What serious drug interaction should be monitored?

    Answer: Serotonin syndrome

    Both SSRIs and tramadol increase serotonergic activity; combined use risks serotonin syndrome — a potentially life-threatening condition.

  6. Which medication used for osteoporosis works by inhibiting osteoclast-mediated bone resorption?

    Answer: Bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate)

    Bisphosphonates incorporate into bone matrix and are ingested by osteoclasts, inducing osteoclast apoptosis and reducing bone resorption.

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