Drugs and Aging

Question 1

What are the phases of pharmacokinetics?

Answer 1

Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion

Phases include absorption (intestines, skin), distribution (circulatory), metabolism (liver), and excretion (kidneys, stool)

Question 2

What is pharmacodynamics related to?

Answer 2

Autonomic control and reflex activity

Question 3

Define polypharmacy.

Answer 3

5 or more drugs

Question 4

What is the nurse’s role in polypharmacy?

Answer 4

Familiarity with medications, drug interactions, side effects, toxicity levels, and assessing responses to drugs so that therapy can be djusted

therapeutic response vs adverse effects

Question 5

What is a drug-drug interaction example involving digoxin?

Answer 5

Digoxin-quinidine sulfate increases risk for digoxin toxicity (0.5-1.2)

ATI 0.5-0.8

Question 6

What is a potential risk when combining lovastatin with gemfibrozil?

Answer 6

Increased risk of myopathy, rhabdomyolysis

Question 7

What effect does caffeine have on theophylline?

Answer 7

Increases risk for theophylline toxicity

Question 8

Which drugs should you avoid grapefruit with?

Answer 8

Benzodiazepines, calcium channel blockers, cyclosporine, estrogen, and statin drugs

Question 9

What drug has a drug-disease interaction with heart failure?

Answer 9

First gen calcium channel blockers (verapamil) and NSAIDs

may cause cardiac decompensation and/or fluid retention

Question 10

What effect do corticosteroids have on diabetes?

Answer 10

Cause hyperglycemia

Question 11

Which medications increase the risk of falls?

Answer 11

Benzos, TCAs, typical antipsychotics, sedative hypnotics, SSRIs

Question 12

What economic burden is associated with polypharmacy?

Answer 12

Socioeconomic factors

Question 13

What should be avoided when on coumadin?

Answer 13

Multivitamins

Because it contains Vit K