Chapter 12: Basic Principles of Neuropharmacology

Chapter 12: Basic Principles of Neuropharmacology

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. A patient receives morphine and shows signs of toxicity. The prescriber orders naloxone [Narcan] to reverse the effects of the morphine. The nurse understands that the naloxone reverses morphine toxicity by which action on morphine receptor sites?

a.	Blocking transmitter reuptake
b.	Inhibiting transmitter release
c.	Interfering with transmitter storage
d.	Preventing activation of receptors

 

 

ANS:  D

Morphine and its antagonist, naloxone, act directly at the same receptors. Morphine causes activation, and naloxone prevents activation. Neither morphine nor naloxone acts to alter transmitter reuptake, release, or storage.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Comprehension     REF:   pp. 98-99

TOP:   Nursing Process: Diagnosis

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies

 

2. A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about neuropharmacology. Which statement by a student about peripheral nervous system (PNS) drugs indicates a need for further teaching?

a.	“Drugs affecting axonal conduction have a variety of uses.”
b.	“Drugs that alter synaptic transmission can be highly selective.”
c.	“Many PNS drugs act by altering synaptic transmission.”
d.	“These drugs work by influencing receptor activity.”

 

 

ANS:  A

Local anesthetics are drugs that work by altering axonal conduction. Any drug affecting axonal conduction would be nonselective, because axonal conduction of impulses is essentially the same in all neurons. In contrast, drugs that affect synaptic transmission can be highly selective, because each transmitter has different effects on receptor sites. Most PNS drugs work on synaptic transmission processes. Through their effects on transmitters, they influence receptor activity.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Analysis                REF:   pp. 96-97

TOP:   Nursing Process: Evaluation

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies

 

3. A nurse is preparing to administer a medication and learns that it is a nonselective agonist drug. What does the nurse understand about this drug?

a.	It directly activates receptors to affect many physiologic processes.
b.	It directly activates receptors to affect a specific physiologic process.
c.	It prevents receptor activation to affect many physiologic processes.
d.	It prevents receptor activation to affect a specific physiologic processes.

 

 

ANS:  A

Drugs that directly activate receptors are called agonists, so this drug will directly activate the receptor site. Drugs that are nonselective activate a variety of receptor sites. A selective agonist would directly activate specific receptors to affect a specific process. An antagonist would prevent receptor activation.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Analysis                REF:   pp. 98-99

TOP:   Nursing Process: Assessment

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies

 

4. A nurse is administering drug X to a patient. The drug information states that the drug acts by activating receptors in the peripheral nervous system by increasing transmitter synthesis. The nurse understands that the effect of this drug is to:

a.	activate axonal conduction.
b.	enhance transmitter storage.
c.	increase receptor activation.
d.	synthesize supertransmitters.

 

 

ANS:  C

Drugs that increase transmitter synthesis increase receptor activation. Other drugs that alter transmitter synthesis can decrease synthesis and would cause decreased receptor activation. Drugs that affect transmitter production do not exert their effects on axonal conduction. The amount of transmitter produced does not directly affect transmitter storage. Some drugs that alter transmitter synthesis cause the synthesis of transmitter molecules that are more effective than the transmitter itself.

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive Level: Application           REF:   pp. 96-97

TOP:   Nursing Process: Implementation

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiologic Integrity: Pharmacologic and Parenteral Therapies