Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants are used:
-
Solution
As adjuncts to general anesthesia
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants are used as an adjunct to general anesthesia.
Drugs classified as centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants are most effective in relieving:
-
Solution
Spasm due to trauma or inflammation
Centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants are most effective in relieving spasm due to trauma or inflammation.
Ansherina who is receiving a traditional antipsychotic agent complains that she is gaining weight. The nurse would:
-
Solution
Encourage the client to follow a healthy diet and use diet soda to help stabilize her weight.
These agents have a known side effect of weight gain. Managing dietary intake can assist in the management of the potentially distressing effect.
Sheila who has been on a low-potency antipsychotic for 2 weeks has shown minimal response. The most probable explanation is:
-
Solution
It is too early to see a full therapeutic response.
The initial response may be seen 1 to 2 days after initiation of treatment, with full therapeutic response in approximately 6 to 8 weeks.
Antipsychotic drugs are indicated:
-
Solution
For treatment of Tourette’s syndrome.
Haloperidol (Haldol) is used for this syndrome. Major depression is an affective disorder. When psychotic symptoms accompany depression, antipsychotics may be used to manage the symptoms. However, this choice does not address that situation. Antipsychotics are used with caution in the presence of a history of seizures. Generally, the antipsychotics decrease the seizure threshold. Antipsychotics are used to ameliorate, reduce, or manage psychotic symptoms; they do not provide a cure.
The nurse performs an initial assessment and nursing history with a client admitted fir a major depression. The client has a history of narrow-angle glaucoma. The nurse’s best action would be to:
-
Solution
Inform the physician of the client’s history before administering the TCA.
Narrow-angle glaucoma is a contraindication for use of TCAs; therefore, the physician should be informed so that an alternative category can be used.
Antidepressants generally exert influence by:
-
Solution
Changing the availability of select neurotransmitters
This choice best describes the effect of antidepressants in general.
When monitoring a client who is taking benzodiazepines, the nurse should be alert for which CNS side effects?
-
Solution
Ataxia, sedation, dizziness
These are common side effects. Anorexia is a GI effect. Choice B are the result of acute withdrawal. Libido and edema are not CNS-related side effects.
When administering antianxiety medications to an elderly client, which of the following actions by the nurse is essential?
-
Solution
Implement a fall prevention protocol.
Increased sedation, dizziness, and hypotension are side effects that place the elderly at high risk for falls. All clients need to have vital signs monitored periodically when taking these medications. Geriatric clients may require reduced doses, but the risk for falls is still present. Dose tapering is not related to age.
For which of the following medical conditions would the nurse anticipate that an antianxiety agent would not be indicated?
-
Solution
Parkinson’s disease
Benzodiazepines may exacerbate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.