A nurse is preparing to give an oral dose of drug X to treat a patient's high blood pressure. After giving the drug, the nurse finds that it reduces the
... [Show More] blood pressure without serious harmful effects, but it also causes the patient to have nausea and a headache. Based on this information, which property of an ideal drug is this drug lacking?
Effectiveness
Safety
Selectivity
Ease of administration
Selectivity
The drug is effective in lowering the blood pressure and safe in that it does not cause harmful effects. However, as do most drugs, it causes other effects besides the one response desired; therefore, it lacks selectivity. The oral form provides ease of administration.
The nurse is preparing to give a drug with certain properties. Which property of the drug is the most compelling indication that it should not be given?
The drug produces an unwanted side effect.
The drug is difficult to administer.
The drug's effects are reversible.
The drug is not effective for its intended purpose.
The drug is not effective for its intended purpose
f a drug is not effective, there is no justification for giving it. Some drugs may be given even though they produce unwanted side effects or are difficult to administer. Reversible action is a desired property for most drugs.
Why is it important for drugs to have ease of administration?
Fewer administration errors
Less risk of side effects
Greater chemical stability
Greater likelihood of reversibility
Fewer Admin errors
Ease of administration increases convenience and adherence and can reduce administration errors. Ease of administration is not related to side effects, chemical stability, or reversibility.
The nurse teaches a patient not to consume alcohol with nitroglycerine, because the blood pressure often drops significantly when nitroglycerine is taken with alcohol. Which drug property does this illustrate?
Chemical instability
Drug interaction
Reversible action
Drug selectivity
Drug interaction
When two or more drugs are taken together, they can interact, causing either increased or decreased drug responses. In this case, alcohol would increase the nitroglycerine response. Chemical instability, reversible action, and drug selectivity are not related to this situation.
When studying the impact a drug has on the body, the nurse is reviewing what?
The drug's pharmacokinetics
The drug's selectivity
The drug's pharmacodynamics
The drug's predictability
Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacodynamics can be thought of as the impact of drugs on the body. Pharmacokinetics describes the movement of drugs through the body. Selectivity is the ability of a drug to elicit only the response for which it is given. Predictability is the degree of certainty about how a patient will respond to a certain drug.
When studying the effects of drugs in humans, the nurse is learning about what?
Pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology
Therapeutics
Effectiveness
Clinical pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology is the study of the effects of drugs in humans. Pharmacology can be defined as the study of drugs and their interactions with living systems. Therapeutics, also known as pharmacotherapeutics, is the use of drugs to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or to prevent pregnancy. The term effectiveness indicates that the drug elicits the intended response or responses.
Which statement by a new nurse indicates that further study is indicated?
Effectiveness is the most important property a drug can have.
There is no such thing as a safe drug.
Drugs are defined as illegal substances.
There is no such thing as a selective drug; all medications cause side effects.
drugs are defined as illegal substances
What is the ultimate concern for the nurse when administering a drug?
Intensity of the response
Dosage
Route of administration
Timing of administration
Intensity of the response
What is the objective of drug therapy?
Provide maximum benefit with minimal harm
Provide minimum benefit with maximum harm
Provide total relief of symptoms regardless of harm
Provide as much benefit as possible
Provide maximum benefits with minimal harm [Show Less]