OCN Trivia Flashcards

Which nursing intervention is the priority when a patient receiving chemotherapy develops neutropenic fever (temperature ≥38.3°C)?

Answer: Obtain blood cultures and initiate broad-spectrum antibiotics promptly

Neutropenic fever is an oncologic emergency requiring immediate blood cultures and broad-spectrum antibiotic administration within one hour.

Tamoxifen is classified as which type of hormonal therapy?

Answer: Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)

Tamoxifen is a SERM that competitively blocks estrogen receptors in breast tissue, reducing estrogen-driven tumor growth.

A patient asks about the difference between palliative care and hospice. The nurse's best response is that palliative care:

Answer: Can be provided alongside curative or active treatment at any stage

Palliative care can be integrated at any point in the illness trajectory alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments.

Which of the following best describes the action of monoclonal antibodies used in cancer immunotherapy?

Answer: Target specific antigens on cancer cells to trigger immune destruction

Monoclonal antibodies bind to specific antigens expressed on cancer cells, flagging them for destruction by the immune system.

What is the most common site of metastasis for breast cancer?

Answer: Liver, lungs, bone, and brain

Breast cancer most commonly metastasizes to the liver, lungs, bone, and brain.

A patient receiving vincristine (a vinca alkaloid) should be monitored closely for which toxicity?

Answer: Peripheral neuropathy

Vincristine's dose-limiting toxicity is peripheral neuropathy, manifesting as paresthesias, weakness, and autonomic dysfunction.

Which assessment finding is most characteristic of superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome in a cancer patient?

Answer: Facial and neck swelling with venous distension and dyspnea

SVC syndrome causes obstruction of venous drainage from the head and neck, resulting in facial/neck edema, venous distension, and respiratory distress.