LPN Pharmacological Therapies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is prescribed warfarin. Which food should the nurse instruct the patient to keep consistent in their diet rather than avoid completely?
- Grapefruit juice
- Vitamin K-rich foods like spinach (Correct answer)
- Dairy products
- High-fiber foods
Correct answer: Vitamin K-rich foods like spinach
Vitamin K antagonizes warfarin; patients should keep intake consistent rather than eliminate it, as sudden changes affect INR levels.
Question 2: Which medication requires the nurse to assess the patient's blood pressure both before and after administration?
- Metformin
- Hydralazine (Correct answer)
- Metronidazole
- Azithromycin
Correct answer: Hydralazine
Hydralazine is a vasodilator antihypertensive; blood pressure must be assessed before and after to monitor for hypotension.
Question 3: A patient taking lithium reports nausea, tremors, and confusion. What is the nurse's priority action?
- Give the next dose as scheduled
- Hold the dose and notify the provider immediately (Correct answer)
- Administer an antiemetic
- Encourage fluid intake and recheck in one hour
Correct answer: Hold the dose and notify the provider immediately
These symptoms indicate lithium toxicity; the nurse must hold the medication and notify the provider immediately.
Question 4: Which route of administration provides the fastest drug onset of action in an emergency?
- Oral
- Subcutaneous
- Intramuscular
- Intravenous (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Intravenous
Intravenous administration delivers the drug directly into the bloodstream, providing the most rapid onset of action.
Question 5: A patient on clopidogrel (Plavix) is scheduled for elective surgery. What should the nurse communicate to the surgical team?
- The patient may need anticoagulation reversal with vitamin K
- The medication should typically be stopped 5-7 days before surgery (Correct answer)
- The drug can be safely continued through surgery
- The patient needs a platelet transfusion preoperatively
Correct answer: The medication should typically be stopped 5-7 days before surgery
Clopidogrel inhibits platelet aggregation; it is typically held 5-7 days before surgery to reduce bleeding risk.
Question 6: The nurse is administering a Z-track injection. What is the primary purpose of this technique?
- To reduce pain at the injection site
- To prevent medication from leaking back into subcutaneous tissue (Correct answer)
- To increase absorption rate
- To avoid hitting a nerve
Correct answer: To prevent medication from leaking back into subcutaneous tissue
The Z-track technique pulls skin laterally before injection so that the needle track seals when released, preventing medication leakage.
Question 7: Which assessment finding would cause the nurse to hold a dose of digoxin?
- Blood pressure of 130/80 mmHg
- Heart rate of 54 beats per minute (Correct answer)
- Respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute
- Temperature of 37.2°C
Correct answer: Heart rate of 54 beats per minute
Digoxin is held when the apical pulse is below 60 beats per minute (or per facility policy) to prevent toxicity-related bradycardia.
LPN Pharmacological Therapies 2
A patient is prescribed warfarin.
Which food should the nurse instruct the patient to keep consistent in their diet rather than avoid completely?