, NR 508 Week 4 Midterm Exam
Question 1: A patient who has primary hyperlipidemia and who takes atorvastatin (Lipitor)
continues to have LDL cholesterol of 140 mg/dL after 3 months of therapy. The primary care NP
increases the dose from 10 mg daily to 20 mg daily. The patient reports headache and dizziness a
few weeks after the dose increase. The NP should:
a. recommend supplements of omega-3 along with the atorvastatin.
b. change the atorvastatin dose to 15 mg twice daily.
c. add ezetimibe (Zetia) and lower the atorvastatin to 10 mg daily.
d. change the patient’s medication to cholestyramine
Question 2: A patient who has hyperlipidemia has been taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) 60 mg daily
for 6 months. The patient’s initial lipid profile showed LDL of 180 mg/dL, HDL of 45 mg/dL,
and triglycerides of 160 mg/dL. The primary care NP orders a lipid profile today that shows LDL
of 105 mg/dL, HDL of 50 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 120 mg/dL. The patient reports muscle
pain and weakness. The NP should:
a.order liver function tests (LFTs).
b. order a creatine kinase-MM (CK-MM) level.
c. change atorvastatin to twice-daily dosing.
d. add gemfibrozil (Lopid) to the patient’s medication regimen
Question 3: A patient comes to the clinic with a 4-day history of 10 to 12 liquid stools each day.
The patient reports seeing blood and mucus in the stools. The patient has had nausea but no
, vomiting. The primary care NP notes a temperature of 37.9° C, a heart rate of 96 beats per
minute, and a blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg. A physical examination reveals dry oral mucous
membranes and capillary refill of 4 seconds. The NP’s priority should be to:
a. obtain stool cultures.
b. begin rehydration therapy.
c. consider prescribing metronidazole.
d. administer opioid antidiarrheal medications.
Question 4: A perimenopausal woman tells the primary care NP that she is having hot flashes
and increasingly severe mood swings. The woman has had a hysterectomy. The NP should
prescribe:
a. estrogen-only HT.
b. estrogen-progesterone HT.
c. low-dose oral contraceptive therapy.
d. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy until menopause begins.
Question 5: A primary care NP prescribes a nitroglycerin transdermal patch, 0.4 mg/hour release,
for a patient with chronic stable angina. The NP should teach the patient to:
a. change the patch four times daily.
b. use the patch as needed for angina pain.
c. use two patches daily and change them every 12 hours.
d. apply one patch daily in the morning and remove in 12 hours.