1. A patient who has undergone a lengthy surgical procedure under general anesthesia is unable
to breathe on his own following the procedure. Which drug
... [Show More] will the nurse expect to be
administered as an antidote to the neuromuscular-blocking agent?
a. Dantrolene (Dantrium)
b. Neostigmine methylsulfate (Prostigmin)
c. Ether
d. Baclofen (Lioresal)
ANS: B
Neostigmine methylsulfate is an antidote to neuromuscular-blocking agents. Additional
measures to implement include artificial respirations with oxygen and atropine sulfate for
bradycardia and hypotension. Dantrolene is a direct-acting skeletal muscle relaxant given for
the treatment of neuroleptic malignant syndrome associated with the use of antipsychotic
agents. Ether is a general anesthetic. Baclofen is a skeletal muscle relaxant.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Page 684 OBJ: 4
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX Client Needs Category: Physiological Integrity
NOT: CONCEPT(S): Clinical Judgment; Safety; Gas Exchange
2. What is the reason for a paraplegic patient to receive baclofen (Lioresal)?
a. It interrupts reflexes at the level of the spinal cord.
b. It acts directly on the skeletal muscles to reduce spasticity.
c. It interrupts transmission of impulses from motor nerves to muscles at the skeletal
neuromuscular junction.
d. It produces generalized mild weakness of skeletal muscles and decreases the force
of reflex muscle contractions.
ANS: A
Baclofen is a gamma aminobutyric acid derivative that interrupts polysynaptic reflexes at the
level of the spinal cord. Baclofen does not appear to act directly on the skeletal muscles.
Interrupting transmission of impulses from motor nerves to muscles at the skeletal
neuromuscular junction is the mechanism of action of neuromuscular-blocking agents.
Producing generalized mild weakness of skeletal muscles and decreasing the force of reflex
muscle contractions is the mechanism of action of dantrolene.
DIF: Cognitive [Show Less]