NUR 100/NUR100 Exam 1 V3 |
Pharmacology Q&A with Rationale | Fortis
College
1. A nurse is administering a medication that has a high first-pass effect. Which route of
administration would most likely be affected by this phenomenon?
A. Intravenous (IV)
B. Oral (PO)
C. Sublingual
D. Transdermal
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is absorbed through the GI
tract and passes through the liver via the portal vein before reaching systemic circulation.
Oral medications are the primary route affected because they undergo extensive hepatic
metabolism. In contrast, IV, sublingual, and transdermal routes bypass the initial passage
through the liver, allowing more of the active drug to reach the bloodstream.
2. The nurse is caring for a patient with chronic kidney disease. Which phase of
pharmacokinetics is the nurse most concerned about being impaired?
A. Absorption
B. Excretion
,C. Metabolism
D. Distribution
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Excretion is the process by which drugs are removed from the body,
primarily through the kidneys. Patients with renal impairment have a decreased ability to
eliminate drugs, which can lead to drug toxicity. The nurse must monitor laboratory values
such as creatinine and BUN to assess renal function and adjust dosages accordingly.
3. Which term describes the ratio of the lowest concentration of a drug needed to produce a
therapeutic effect to the concentration that results in toxicity?
A. Bioavailability
B. Therapeutic Index
C. Half-life
D. Pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The therapeutic index is a quantitative measurement of the relative
safety of a drug. A narrow therapeutic index means that there is a small margin of safety
between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose. Nurses must carefully monitor blood levels
for drugs like digoxin or lithium that have a low therapeutic index.
, 4. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. If a patient takes 200 mg of the drug at 0800, how much of
the drug will remain in the patient’s system at 1600?
A. 100 mg
B. 50 mg
C. 25 mg
D. 12.5 mg
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The half-life is the time it takes for one-half of the drug’s
concentration to be eliminated from the body. From 0800 to 1600 is 8 hours, which equals
two half-lives (4 hours + 4 hours). After the first half-life, 100 mg remains; after the second
half-life, 50 mg remains.
5. When administering a medication to a geriatric patient, the nurse understands that which
physiological change most significantly affects drug distribution?
A. Decreased albumin production
B. Increased gastric pH
C. Increased glomerular filtration rate
D. Increased total body water
Correct Answer: A
Pharmacology Q&A with Rationale | Fortis
College
1. A nurse is administering a medication that has a high first-pass effect. Which route of
administration would most likely be affected by this phenomenon?
A. Intravenous (IV)
B. Oral (PO)
C. Sublingual
D. Transdermal
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The first-pass effect occurs when a drug is absorbed through the GI
tract and passes through the liver via the portal vein before reaching systemic circulation.
Oral medications are the primary route affected because they undergo extensive hepatic
metabolism. In contrast, IV, sublingual, and transdermal routes bypass the initial passage
through the liver, allowing more of the active drug to reach the bloodstream.
2. The nurse is caring for a patient with chronic kidney disease. Which phase of
pharmacokinetics is the nurse most concerned about being impaired?
A. Absorption
B. Excretion
,C. Metabolism
D. Distribution
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Excretion is the process by which drugs are removed from the body,
primarily through the kidneys. Patients with renal impairment have a decreased ability to
eliminate drugs, which can lead to drug toxicity. The nurse must monitor laboratory values
such as creatinine and BUN to assess renal function and adjust dosages accordingly.
3. Which term describes the ratio of the lowest concentration of a drug needed to produce a
therapeutic effect to the concentration that results in toxicity?
A. Bioavailability
B. Therapeutic Index
C. Half-life
D. Pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The therapeutic index is a quantitative measurement of the relative
safety of a drug. A narrow therapeutic index means that there is a small margin of safety
between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose. Nurses must carefully monitor blood levels
for drugs like digoxin or lithium that have a low therapeutic index.
, 4. A drug has a half-life of 4 hours. If a patient takes 200 mg of the drug at 0800, how much of
the drug will remain in the patient’s system at 1600?
A. 100 mg
B. 50 mg
C. 25 mg
D. 12.5 mg
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The half-life is the time it takes for one-half of the drug’s
concentration to be eliminated from the body. From 0800 to 1600 is 8 hours, which equals
two half-lives (4 hours + 4 hours). After the first half-life, 100 mg remains; after the second
half-life, 50 mg remains.
5. When administering a medication to a geriatric patient, the nurse understands that which
physiological change most significantly affects drug distribution?
A. Decreased albumin production
B. Increased gastric pH
C. Increased glomerular filtration rate
D. Increased total body water
Correct Answer: A
