Paramedics Exam Pharmacology and Medication Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 70-kg patient requires a dopamine infusion at 5 mcg/kg/min. The solution is 400 mg in 250 mL D5W. What is the correct infusion rate in mL/hr?
- 13.1 mL/hr (Correct answer)
- 26.3 mL/hr
- 10.5 mL/hr
- 52.5 mL/hr
Correct answer: 13.1 mL/hr
Concentration = 1,600 mcg/mL; dose = 350 mcg/min; rate = 350/1,600 = 0.219 mL/min × 60 = 13.1 mL/hr.
Question 2: Naloxone reverses opioid toxicity by acting as a:
- Partial agonist at mu receptors
- Competitive antagonist at opioid receptors (Correct answer)
- Noncompetitive antagonist at kappa receptors
- Allosteric modulator of GABA receptors
Correct answer: Competitive antagonist at opioid receptors
Naloxone is a competitive antagonist that displaces opioids from mu, kappa, and delta receptors to reverse toxicity.
Question 3: Which condition is an absolute contraindication to nitroglycerin administration?
- Inferior MI with right ventricular involvement (Correct answer)
- Hypertensive emergency with BP >180/110
- Acute pulmonary edema with SBP >100
- Stable angina with normal heart rate
Correct answer: Inferior MI with right ventricular involvement
RV infarction relies on preload; nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation can cause profound hypotension in these patients.
Question 4: A patient with suspected organophosphate poisoning is salivating, has bronchospasm, and bradycardia. Which drug is the antidote?
- Physostigmine
- Atropine (Correct answer)
- Pralidoxime alone
- Naloxone
Correct answer: Atropine
Atropine competitively blocks muscarinic receptors, reversing the excessive cholinergic stimulation caused by organophosphates.
Question 5: What is the half-life significance in pharmacology?
- Time for the drug to reach peak plasma concentration
- Time for plasma drug concentration to decrease by 50% (Correct answer)
- Duration of the drug's therapeutic effect
- Time for complete elimination of the drug from the body
Correct answer: Time for plasma drug concentration to decrease by 50%
Half-life is the time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to be reduced by one-half.
Question 6: A paramedic is preparing to administer 250 mg of a drug from a vial labeled 500 mg/10 mL. How many mL should be drawn up?
- 2.5 mL
- 5 mL (Correct answer)
- 10 mL
- 1.25 mL
Correct answer: 5 mL
Concentration = 50 mg/mL; desired dose 250 mg ÷ 50 mg/mL = 5 mL.
Question 7: Which beta-blocker is cardioselective and primarily blocks beta-1 receptors at therapeutic doses?
- Propranolol
- Metoprolol (Correct answer)
- Carvedilol
- Labetalol
Correct answer: Metoprolol
Metoprolol is a cardioselective beta-1 blocker, reducing cardiac output and heart rate with less bronchospasm risk than nonselective agents.
Paramedics Exam Pharmacology and Medication Administration 3
A 70-kg patient requires a dopamine infusion at 5 mcg/kg/min.
The solution is 400 mg in 250 mL D5W.
What is the correct infusion rate in mL/hr?