OCN OCN Trivia 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which nursing intervention is the priority when a patient receiving chemotherapy develops neutropenic fever (temperature ≥38.3°C)?
- Administer acetaminophen and monitor for 2 hours
- Obtain blood cultures and initiate broad-spectrum antibiotics promptly (Correct answer)
- Place the patient in strict isolation and notify the dietitian
- Discontinue the chemotherapy infusion immediately
Correct 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.
Question 2: Tamoxifen is classified as which type of hormonal therapy?
- Aromatase inhibitor
- GnRH agonist
- Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) (Correct answer)
- Androgen deprivation agent
Correct answer: Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)
Tamoxifen is a SERM that competitively blocks estrogen receptors in breast tissue, reducing estrogen-driven tumor growth.
Question 3: A patient asks about the difference between palliative care and hospice. The nurse's best response is that palliative care:
- Is only appropriate when curative treatment has stopped
- Focuses solely on pain control with no psychosocial support
- Can be provided alongside curative or active treatment at any stage (Correct answer)
- Is only covered by insurance for patients with fewer than 6 months to live
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the action of monoclonal antibodies used in cancer immunotherapy?
- Directly alkylate DNA to halt replication
- Target specific antigens on cancer cells to trigger immune destruction (Correct answer)
- Replace deficient white blood cells in the bone marrow
- Block all cell division non-selectively
Correct 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.
Question 5: What is the most common site of metastasis for breast cancer?
- Liver, lungs, bone, and brain (Correct answer)
- Spleen and pancreas
- Kidney and adrenal glands
- Colon and rectum
Correct answer: Liver, lungs, bone, and brain
Breast cancer most commonly metastasizes to the liver, lungs, bone, and brain.
Question 6: A patient receiving vincristine (a vinca alkaloid) should be monitored closely for which toxicity?
- Cardiotoxicity
- Nephrotoxicity
- Peripheral neuropathy (Correct answer)
- Pulmonary fibrosis
Correct answer: Peripheral neuropathy
Vincristine's dose-limiting toxicity is peripheral neuropathy, manifesting as paresthesias, weakness, and autonomic dysfunction.
Question 7: Which assessment finding is most characteristic of superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome in a cancer patient?
- Severe flank pain and hematuria
- Facial and neck swelling with venous distension and dyspnea (Correct answer)
- Sudden-onset severe headache and nuchal rigidity
- Hypotension and tachycardia with cool clammy skin
Correct 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.
OCN OCN Trivia 4
Which nursing intervention is the priority when a patient receiving chemotherapy develops neutropenic fever (temperature ≥38.3°C)?