OCN Trivia Flashcards

A patient with cancer reports pain rated 8/10 and is currently on oral morphine. The nurse anticipates which change to the analgesic regimen?

Answer: Increase the opioid dose or change to a stronger opioid formulation

According to the WHO analgesic ladder, uncontrolled moderate-to-severe pain requires dose escalation or rotation to a stronger opioid.

Which intervention is most effective in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) prior to a highly emetogenic regimen?

Answer: Pre-medicating with a 5-HT3 antagonist, a NK1 antagonist, and dexamethasone

CINV guidelines recommend a triple-drug prophylactic regimen (5-HT3 antagonist + NK1 antagonist + dexamethasone) before highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

The nurse is caring for a patient with hypercalcemia of malignancy. Which symptom would the nurse expect to assess?

Answer: Confusion, polyuria, constipation, and fatigue

Hypercalcemia of malignancy classically presents with confusion, polyuria, constipation, anorexia, and profound fatigue.

Which of the following is a common long-term side effect of cisplatin-based chemotherapy?

Answer: Nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity

Cisplatin is well known for causing cumulative nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity (hearing loss/tinnitus) as major long-term toxicities.

When educating a patient about neutropenia precautions, which dietary instruction is most important?

Answer: Avoid undercooked meats, raw eggs, and unpasteurized products

Patients with neutropenia must avoid foods at high risk for bacterial contamination, including raw/undercooked meats, raw eggs, and unpasteurized dairy.

A patient receiving doxorubicin (an anthracycline) asks why the nurse is monitoring cumulative lifetime dose. The nurse explains this is done to prevent:

Answer: Cardiomyopathy

Anthracyclines like doxorubicin cause dose-dependent cardiotoxicity; cumulative dose is tracked to reduce the risk of irreversible cardiomyopathy.

Which statement about cancer-related fatigue (CRF) best reflects current evidence-based practice?

Answer: Moderate aerobic exercise during treatment is the most effective intervention for CRF

Evidence consistently shows that moderate aerobic exercise is the most effective evidence-based intervention for reducing cancer-related fatigue during and after treatment.