SPEX Pharmacology Flashcards
6 cards from real SPEX practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 SPEX Pharmacology flashcards as text
Which opioid analgesic is considered safest in patients with renal failure due to lack of active metabolite accumulation?
Answer: Fentanyl
Fentanyl lacks active renally-cleared metabolites, making it relatively safer in renal failure compared to morphine or codeine.
What is the antidote for acetaminophen overdose?
Answer: N-acetylcysteine
N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione stores, neutralizing the toxic acetaminophen metabolite NAPQI and preventing hepatotoxicity.
Which drug used for type 2 diabetes carries the highest risk of hypoglycemia when used as monotherapy?
Answer: Glipizide
Sulfonylureas like glipizide stimulate insulin secretion regardless of glucose levels, causing hypoglycemia even in monotherapy.
A physician prescribes digoxin for heart failure. Which electrolyte abnormality potentiates digoxin toxicity?
Answer: Hypokalemia
Hypokalemia increases digoxin binding to Na+/K+-ATPase, potentiating toxicity and increasing risk of arrhythmias.
Which class of drugs is contraindicated in pregnancy due to causing fetal renal dysgenesis and oligohydramnios?
Answer: ACE inhibitors
ACE inhibitors and ARBs are teratogenic in the second and third trimesters, causing fetal renal dysfunction, oligohydramnios, and limb deformities.
What is the mechanism of resistance when bacteria produce beta-lactamase enzymes?
Answer: They hydrolyze the beta-lactam ring
Beta-lactamase enzymes cleave the beta-lactam ring of penicillins and cephalosporins, rendering the antibiotic inactive before it can inhibit cell wall synthesis.