CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ;
EXAM QUESTIONS AND THEIR
CORRECT RESPECTIVE ANSWERS
A 32-year-old woman with hypertension wishes to
become pregnant. Her physician informs her that she
will have to switch to another antihypertensive drug.
Which of the following drugs is absolutely
contraindicated in pregnancy? (A) Atenolol (B)
Losartan (C) Methyldopa (D) Nifedipine (E) Propranolol
(B) Losartan
A patient is admitted to the emergency department
with severe tachycardia after a drug overdose. His
family reports that he has been depressed about his
hypertension. Which one of the following drugs
increases the heart rate in a dosedependent manner?
(A) Captopril (B) Hydrochlorothiazide (C) Losartan (D)
Minoxidil (E) Verapamil
(D) Minoxidil
Which one of the following is characteristic of
nifedipine treatment in patients with essential
hypertension? (A) Competitively blocks angiotensin II
at its receptor (B) Decreases calcium efflux from
skeletal muscle (C) Decreases renin concentration in
the blood (D) Decreases calcium influx into smooth
muscle (E) Increases calcium excretion in the urine
(D) Decreases calcium influx into smooth muscle
,A 73-year-old man with a history of a recent change in
his treatment for moderately severe hypertension is
brought to the emergency department because of a
fall at home. Which of the following drug groups is
most likely to cause postural hypotension and thus an
increased risk of falls? (A) ACE inhibitors (B) Alpha1-
selective receptor blockers (C) Arteriolar dilators (D)
Beta1-selective receptor blockers (E) Calcium channel
blockers
(B) Alpha1-selective receptor blockers
A significant number of patients started on ACE
inhibitor therapy for hypertension are intolerant and
must be switched to a different class of drug. What is
the most common manifestation of this intolerance?
(A) Angioedema (B) Glaucoma (C) Headache (D)
Incessant cough (E) Ventricular arrhythmias
(D) Incessant cough
Which one of the following is a significant unwanted
effect of the drug named? (A) Constipation with
verapamil (B) Heart failure with hydralazine (C)
Hemolytic anemia with atenolol (D) Hypokalemia with
aliskiren (E) Lupus-like syndrome with
hydrochlorothiazide
(A) Constipation with verapamil
Comparison of prazosin with atenolol shows that (A)
Both decrease heart rate (B) Both increase cardiac
output (C) Both increase renin secretion (D) Both
increase sympathetic outflow from the CNS (E) Both
produce orthostatic hypotension
(D) Both increase sympathetic outflow from the CNS
,A patient with hypertension and angina is referred for
treatment. Metoprolol and verapamil are among the
drugs considered. Both metoprolol and verapamil are
associated with which one of the following? (A)
Diarrhea (B) Hypoglycemia (C) Increased PR interval
(D) Tachycardia (E) Thyrotoxicosis
(C) Increased PR interval
A 45-year-old man is brought to the emergency
department with mental obtundation. He is found to
have a blood pressure of 220/160 and retinal
hemorrhages. Which one of the following is used in
severe hypertensive emergencies, is short-acting,
acts on a G-protein-coupled receptor, and must be
given by intravenous infusion?
(A) Aliskiren
(B) Captopril
(C) Fenoldopam
(D) Hydralazine
(E) Losartan
(F) Metoprolol
(G) Nitroprusside
(H) Prazosin
(I) Propranolol
(C) Fenoldopam
Which of the following is very short acting and acts by
releasing nitric oxide?
(A) Atenolol
(B) Captopril
(C) Diltiazem
(D) Fenoldopam
(E) Hydrochlorothiazide
, (F) Losartan
(G) Minoxidil
(H) Nitroprusside
(I) Prazosin
(H) Nitroprusside
Which of the following is a common direct or reflex
effect of nitroglycerin? (A) Decreased heart rate (B)
Decreased venous capacitance (C) Increased afterload
(D) Increased cardiac force (E) Increased diastolic
myocardial fiber tension
(D) Increased cardiac force
In advising the patient about the adverse effects she
may notice, you point out that nitroglycerin in
moderate doses often produces certain symptoms.
Which of the following effects might occur due to the
mechanism listed? (A) Constipation due to reduced
colonic activity (B) Dizziness due to reduced cardiac
force of contraction (C) Diuresis due to sympathetic
discharge (D) Headache due to meningeal vasodilation
(E) Hypertension due to reflex tachycardia
(D) Headache due to meningeal vasodilation
One year later, the patient returns complaining that
her nitroglycerin works well when she takes it for an
acute attack but that she is now having more frequent
attacks and would like something to prevent them.
Useful drugs for the prophylaxis of angina of effort
include (A) Amyl nitrite (B) Esmolol (C) Sublingual
isosorbide dinitrate (D) Sublingual nitroglycerin (E)
Verapamil
(E) Verapamil
EXAM QUESTIONS AND THEIR
CORRECT RESPECTIVE ANSWERS
A 32-year-old woman with hypertension wishes to
become pregnant. Her physician informs her that she
will have to switch to another antihypertensive drug.
Which of the following drugs is absolutely
contraindicated in pregnancy? (A) Atenolol (B)
Losartan (C) Methyldopa (D) Nifedipine (E) Propranolol
(B) Losartan
A patient is admitted to the emergency department
with severe tachycardia after a drug overdose. His
family reports that he has been depressed about his
hypertension. Which one of the following drugs
increases the heart rate in a dosedependent manner?
(A) Captopril (B) Hydrochlorothiazide (C) Losartan (D)
Minoxidil (E) Verapamil
(D) Minoxidil
Which one of the following is characteristic of
nifedipine treatment in patients with essential
hypertension? (A) Competitively blocks angiotensin II
at its receptor (B) Decreases calcium efflux from
skeletal muscle (C) Decreases renin concentration in
the blood (D) Decreases calcium influx into smooth
muscle (E) Increases calcium excretion in the urine
(D) Decreases calcium influx into smooth muscle
,A 73-year-old man with a history of a recent change in
his treatment for moderately severe hypertension is
brought to the emergency department because of a
fall at home. Which of the following drug groups is
most likely to cause postural hypotension and thus an
increased risk of falls? (A) ACE inhibitors (B) Alpha1-
selective receptor blockers (C) Arteriolar dilators (D)
Beta1-selective receptor blockers (E) Calcium channel
blockers
(B) Alpha1-selective receptor blockers
A significant number of patients started on ACE
inhibitor therapy for hypertension are intolerant and
must be switched to a different class of drug. What is
the most common manifestation of this intolerance?
(A) Angioedema (B) Glaucoma (C) Headache (D)
Incessant cough (E) Ventricular arrhythmias
(D) Incessant cough
Which one of the following is a significant unwanted
effect of the drug named? (A) Constipation with
verapamil (B) Heart failure with hydralazine (C)
Hemolytic anemia with atenolol (D) Hypokalemia with
aliskiren (E) Lupus-like syndrome with
hydrochlorothiazide
(A) Constipation with verapamil
Comparison of prazosin with atenolol shows that (A)
Both decrease heart rate (B) Both increase cardiac
output (C) Both increase renin secretion (D) Both
increase sympathetic outflow from the CNS (E) Both
produce orthostatic hypotension
(D) Both increase sympathetic outflow from the CNS
,A patient with hypertension and angina is referred for
treatment. Metoprolol and verapamil are among the
drugs considered. Both metoprolol and verapamil are
associated with which one of the following? (A)
Diarrhea (B) Hypoglycemia (C) Increased PR interval
(D) Tachycardia (E) Thyrotoxicosis
(C) Increased PR interval
A 45-year-old man is brought to the emergency
department with mental obtundation. He is found to
have a blood pressure of 220/160 and retinal
hemorrhages. Which one of the following is used in
severe hypertensive emergencies, is short-acting,
acts on a G-protein-coupled receptor, and must be
given by intravenous infusion?
(A) Aliskiren
(B) Captopril
(C) Fenoldopam
(D) Hydralazine
(E) Losartan
(F) Metoprolol
(G) Nitroprusside
(H) Prazosin
(I) Propranolol
(C) Fenoldopam
Which of the following is very short acting and acts by
releasing nitric oxide?
(A) Atenolol
(B) Captopril
(C) Diltiazem
(D) Fenoldopam
(E) Hydrochlorothiazide
, (F) Losartan
(G) Minoxidil
(H) Nitroprusside
(I) Prazosin
(H) Nitroprusside
Which of the following is a common direct or reflex
effect of nitroglycerin? (A) Decreased heart rate (B)
Decreased venous capacitance (C) Increased afterload
(D) Increased cardiac force (E) Increased diastolic
myocardial fiber tension
(D) Increased cardiac force
In advising the patient about the adverse effects she
may notice, you point out that nitroglycerin in
moderate doses often produces certain symptoms.
Which of the following effects might occur due to the
mechanism listed? (A) Constipation due to reduced
colonic activity (B) Dizziness due to reduced cardiac
force of contraction (C) Diuresis due to sympathetic
discharge (D) Headache due to meningeal vasodilation
(E) Hypertension due to reflex tachycardia
(D) Headache due to meningeal vasodilation
One year later, the patient returns complaining that
her nitroglycerin works well when she takes it for an
acute attack but that she is now having more frequent
attacks and would like something to prevent them.
Useful drugs for the prophylaxis of angina of effort
include (A) Amyl nitrite (B) Esmolol (C) Sublingual
isosorbide dinitrate (D) Sublingual nitroglycerin (E)
Verapamil
(E) Verapamil
