Nursing Elites

1. Narrow therapeutic index medications:

• A. are drug formulations with limited pharmacokinetic variability.
• B. have limited value and require no monitoring of blood levels.
• C. have less than a twofold difference in minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood
• D. have limited potency and side effects.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The therapeutic index is the ratio between the median lethal dose and median effective dose of a drug, indicating the safety margin. Narrow therapeutic index medications have a small difference between minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood, making them high-risk drugs that require close monitoring to avoid toxicity. Choice A is incorrect because pharmacokinetics refer to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, not the therapeutic index. Choice B is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs necessitate monitoring due to their narrow margin of safety. Choice D is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs do not necessarily have limited potency but are characterized by a small window between efficacy and toxicity.

2. A man expresses surprise that his wife has become very withdrawn during hospitalization for pneumonia. Which response helps the husband understand how some people cope with hospitalization?

• A. "Hospitalization might cause a crisis. Has your wife had to cope with problems before this?"?
• B. "Some people react that way. She will be more talkative when she feels better."?
• C. "Your wife might be feeling concern that she cannot fulfill her normal roles."?
• D. "This is typical behavior for someone who is as ill as your wife."?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct response acknowledges that hospitalization can lead to a crisis for both patients and their families. By asking if the wife has coped with problems before, it opens up a dialogue about her coping mechanisms and past experiences. This can help the husband understand his wife's current behavior better and provide valuable insights. Choices B, C, and D do not directly address the potential crisis that hospitalization can cause or inquire about the wife's coping strategies, making them less effective responses.

3. During discharge teaching for a client with diverticulitis on a low-roughage diet, which food should be eliminated from the diet?

• A. Roasted chicken
• B. Noodles
• C. Cooked broccoli
• D. Custard

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The client with diverticulitis needs to avoid gas-forming foods that can increase abdominal discomfort. Cooked broccoli is a high-fiber food that can worsen symptoms. Roasted chicken, noodles, and custard are suitable choices for a low-roughage diet as they are less likely to cause gas formation or abdominal discomfort.

4. The chemotherapeutic DNA alkylating agents such as nitrogen mustards are effective because they:

• A. cross-link DNA strands with covalent bonds between alkyl groups on the drug and guanine bases on DNA.
• B. have few, if any, side effects.
• C. are used to treat multiple types of cancer.
• D. are cell-cycle-specific agents.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Alkylating agents, such as nitrogen mustards, are effective chemotherapeutic agents because they cross-link DNA strands with covalent bonds between alkyl groups on the drug and guanine bases on DNA. This cross-linking interferes with DNA replication and transcription, leading to cell death. Choice B is incorrect because alkylating agents have numerous side effects, including alopecia, nausea, vomiting, and myelosuppression. Choice C is incorrect because while nitrogen mustards are used to treat multiple types of cancer like chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and breast and ovarian cancer, their effectiveness is primarily due to DNA cross-linkage. Choice D is incorrect because alkylating agents are non-cell-cycle-specific agents, meaning they can act on cells in any phase of the cell cycle, not just on cells that are actively dividing.

5. The nurse is caring for a client with a malignancy. The classification of the primary tumor is Tis. The nurse should plan care for a tumor:

• A. That can be assessed
• B. That is in situ
• C. With increasing lymph node involvement
• D. With distant metastasis

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'That is in situ.' Cancer in situ means that the cancer is still localized to the primary site. Cancer is graded in terms of tumor, grade, node involvement, and metastasis. Answer A is incorrect because Tis indicates a tumor that is in situ and can be assessed. Answer C is incorrect because T indicates tumor, not node involvement. Answer D is incorrect because a tumor that is in situ is not metastasized.

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