NSG 533 ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY TEST 1 WEEK
2024 ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
VERIFIED ANSWERS/A+ GRADE ASSURED
Which of the following SSRIs requires up to a 5-week washout period because of
thelong half-life of its potent active metabolite?
• Escitalopram
• Fluvoxamine
• Fluoxetine
• Sertraline - ANSWER C
Which of the following symptoms is most likely to improve within approximately 1
week of starting treatment?
• Depressed mood
• Suicidal thoughts
• Anhedonia
• Sleep - ANSWER D
Of the following combinations of medications, which one would you want to avoid?
• Fluoxetine-lithium
• Fluoxetine-phenelzine
• Citalopram-valproic acid
• Citalopram-aripiprazole - ANSWER B
,A 26-year-old man with a history of depression has been taking sertraline 200 mg/day
for 12 weeks with no response. The patient has no other complications. The physician
asks foryour recommendation. The most reasonable recommendation would be to:
• Increase sertraline
• Add fluoxetine
• Switch to amitriptyline
• Change to venlafaxine
• Decrease sertraline - ANSWER D
Which of the following is a dangerous combination?
• MAOI-lorazepam
• MAOI-acetaminophen
• MAOI-meperidine
• MAOI-ziprasidone - ANSWER C
A 23-year-old married white woman comes to the outpatient psychiatric clinic
complaining of decreased sleep, decreased appetite, decreased concentration,
depressed mood, thoughts of death, and lack of interest in activities for 6 weeks'
duration. She has no history of psychiatric illness and takes no medications except for
Ortho-Tri Cyclen Lo daily. Based upon the patients symptoms, choose the best
medication to treat this patient.
• Nefazodone 100 mg po twice daily
• Paroxetine 20 mg po daily
• St. John's wort 300 mg po three times daily
, • Amitriptyline 25 mg at bedtime - ANSWER B
A 36-year-old man is admitted to the hospital for a severe methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus diabetic foot infection and is started on linezolid 600 mg IV
every12 hours. His medication profile includes paroxetine 40 mg every morning,
trazodone 100mg at bedtime as needed for sleep, and metformin 1000 mg po twice
daily. After 3
days on these medications, the patient becomes agitated, confused, and diaphoretic
anddevelops myoclonic jerks. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
• Overdose of metformin
• Bacterial meningitis
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• Serotonin syndrome - ANSWER D
A 46-year-old woman presents to the psychiatric outpatient clinic for follow-up
treatment of major depression. She is currently on paroxetine 10 mg at bedtime, which
she started taking 2 months ago when admitted to the psychiatric hospital for suicidal
ideation.
During the interview, she says that she does not think the medication is working
becauseshe is just as depressed as she was before taking the medication and has
recently started drinking eight to 10 beers daily to alleviate the depression. Before this
episode, she was
sober for 4 years. Which of the following treatment strategies would be the appropriate
choice for this patient?
• Stop the paroxetine and start nefazodone 100 mg po twice daily
• Increase the dose of paroxetine to 20 mg po at bedtime
• Stop the paroxetine and start duloxetine 20 mg/day
• Continue the paroxetine at them same dose for a longer period of time to
evaluatewhether she will respond or not - ANSWER B
2024 ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
VERIFIED ANSWERS/A+ GRADE ASSURED
Which of the following SSRIs requires up to a 5-week washout period because of
thelong half-life of its potent active metabolite?
• Escitalopram
• Fluvoxamine
• Fluoxetine
• Sertraline - ANSWER C
Which of the following symptoms is most likely to improve within approximately 1
week of starting treatment?
• Depressed mood
• Suicidal thoughts
• Anhedonia
• Sleep - ANSWER D
Of the following combinations of medications, which one would you want to avoid?
• Fluoxetine-lithium
• Fluoxetine-phenelzine
• Citalopram-valproic acid
• Citalopram-aripiprazole - ANSWER B
,A 26-year-old man with a history of depression has been taking sertraline 200 mg/day
for 12 weeks with no response. The patient has no other complications. The physician
asks foryour recommendation. The most reasonable recommendation would be to:
• Increase sertraline
• Add fluoxetine
• Switch to amitriptyline
• Change to venlafaxine
• Decrease sertraline - ANSWER D
Which of the following is a dangerous combination?
• MAOI-lorazepam
• MAOI-acetaminophen
• MAOI-meperidine
• MAOI-ziprasidone - ANSWER C
A 23-year-old married white woman comes to the outpatient psychiatric clinic
complaining of decreased sleep, decreased appetite, decreased concentration,
depressed mood, thoughts of death, and lack of interest in activities for 6 weeks'
duration. She has no history of psychiatric illness and takes no medications except for
Ortho-Tri Cyclen Lo daily. Based upon the patients symptoms, choose the best
medication to treat this patient.
• Nefazodone 100 mg po twice daily
• Paroxetine 20 mg po daily
• St. John's wort 300 mg po three times daily
, • Amitriptyline 25 mg at bedtime - ANSWER B
A 36-year-old man is admitted to the hospital for a severe methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus diabetic foot infection and is started on linezolid 600 mg IV
every12 hours. His medication profile includes paroxetine 40 mg every morning,
trazodone 100mg at bedtime as needed for sleep, and metformin 1000 mg po twice
daily. After 3
days on these medications, the patient becomes agitated, confused, and diaphoretic
anddevelops myoclonic jerks. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
• Overdose of metformin
• Bacterial meningitis
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• Serotonin syndrome - ANSWER D
A 46-year-old woman presents to the psychiatric outpatient clinic for follow-up
treatment of major depression. She is currently on paroxetine 10 mg at bedtime, which
she started taking 2 months ago when admitted to the psychiatric hospital for suicidal
ideation.
During the interview, she says that she does not think the medication is working
becauseshe is just as depressed as she was before taking the medication and has
recently started drinking eight to 10 beers daily to alleviate the depression. Before this
episode, she was
sober for 4 years. Which of the following treatment strategies would be the appropriate
choice for this patient?
• Stop the paroxetine and start nefazodone 100 mg po twice daily
• Increase the dose of paroxetine to 20 mg po at bedtime
• Stop the paroxetine and start duloxetine 20 mg/day
• Continue the paroxetine at them same dose for a longer period of time to
evaluatewhether she will respond or not - ANSWER B
