Assessment and Diagnosis Flashcards
7 cards from real CARN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Assessment and Diagnosis flashcards as text
A nurse assesses a patient for benzodiazepine withdrawal. Which symptom, if present, indicates the most serious complication requiring immediate medical attention?
Answer: Generalized tonic-clonic seizure
Generalized seizures are the most life-threatening complication of benzodiazepine withdrawal and require immediate medical intervention.
Which component of the ASI (Addiction Severity Index) evaluates the patient's subjective perception of their problem and motivation for treatment?
Answer: Interviewer severity rating
The ASI includes an interviewer severity rating that captures the patient's subjective distress and perceived need for treatment in each domain.
When performing a urine drug screen interpretation, a nurse knows that false-positive results for opioids can be caused by which common substance?
Answer: Poppy seed consumption
Poppy seeds contain morphine and codeine in small amounts and can cause false-positive immunoassay results for opioids.
A nurse is conducting a trauma-informed addiction assessment. Which approach best aligns with trauma-informed care principles?
Answer: Creating a safe environment, obtaining consent, and allowing the patient to control the pace
Trauma-informed care prioritizes safety, trustworthiness, choice, and empowerment—allowing patients to control the pace and content of trauma disclosure.
A patient presents with constricted pupils, bradycardia, and respiratory depression. Which substance is most likely responsible?
Answer: An opioid
The classic triad of miosis (constricted pupils), bradycardia, and respiratory depression is the hallmark of opioid intoxication.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'cross-tolerance' in addiction assessment?
Answer: Tolerance developed to one substance confers tolerance to pharmacologically similar substances
Cross-tolerance occurs when tolerance to one substance (e.g., alcohol) reduces sensitivity to pharmacologically similar substances (e.g., benzodiazepines) due to shared mechanisms of action.
A nurse documents that a patient meets criteria for 'alcohol use disorder with physiological dependence.' Which DSM-5 criterion must be present to add this specifier?
Answer: Evidence of tolerance or withdrawal
The DSM-5 physiological dependence specifier is applied when either tolerance or withdrawal (or both) are present as part of the alcohol use disorder criteria.