Quiz- Ch. 14 Antiepileptic Drugs Flashcards
While teaching a patient newly diagnosed with a seizure disorder, what does the nurse state as the goal of pharmacologic therapy of this medication?
A) eradicating all seizure activity and then weaning off medication once the patient is seizure free for three months
B) reducing seizure occurrence to one per week
C) maximally reducing seizure activity while minimizing side effects of medication therapy
D) maximizing drug dosages to control seizure activity
C) maximally reducing seizure activity while minimizing side effects of medication therapy
– Anticonvulsant medications have many adverse side effects. The goal of therapy is to control seizure activity while maintaining quality of life with minimal side effects.
A postoperative craniotomy patient is received in the intensive care unit. The nurse makes sure which prescribed drug is readily available to treat acute seizure activity?
A) gabapentin (Neurontin)
B) diazepam (Valium)
C) ethosuximide (Zarontin)
D) flumazenil (Romazicon)
B) diazepam (valium)
– Therapy for acute seizure activity is typically diazepam, which is considered by many to be the drug of choice. Other jobs use for acute therapy include lorazepam, fosphenytoin, phenytoin, and phenobarbital
The patient receiving valproic acid (Depakote) should be monitored for which adverse affects? (Select all that apply.)
A) tremors B) weight gain C) hepatotoxicity D) hypoglycemia E) insomnia
A, B, C
The patient asks the nurse why she is receiving a different drug than her usual phenytoin (Dalintin). The patient is NPO (nothing by mouth) secondary to illness and is receiving intravenous fosphenytoin (Cerbyx). Which is the nurses most accurate response?
A) “your serum city towing levels are not therapeutic, so health provider has changed her medication to a more effective drug.”
B) “Seney telling is not effective while you are NPO, so your healthcare provider has change your medication to a more effective drug.”
C) “fosphenytoin is converted to phenytoin once it is in your bloodstream. Since you are NPO, fosphenytoin is better on your veins Benvenito in.”
D) “since you were NPO, you can’t take phenytoin orally. Phenytoin does not come in and intravenous form. You’ll be transferred back to phenytoin after you recover from this illness.”
C) “fosphenytoin is converted to phenytoin once it is in your bloodstream. Since you were NPO, if I study till one is easier on your veins than phenytoin”
– Fosphenytoin was developed in an attempt to overcome some of the physical shortcomings of funny tone sodium. Fosphenytoin is a water soluble, phosphorylated phenytoin derivative that can be given intramuscularly or intravenously without causing the pain associated with the present product. The pH of fosphenytoin is less alkaline and easier on the veins. Once administered, it is converted in the body to phenytoin.
While obtaining a patient history, the nurse notes that the patient has been prescribed ethosuximide (Zarontin). Which condition will the nearest suspect that the patient experiences?
A) absence seizures
B) tonic-clonic seizures
C) panic attacks
D) partial seizures
A) absence seizures
– Ethosuximide is used to treat absence seizures
When administering intravenous; (Dilantin), which action will the nurse performe?
A) always use an infusion pump
B) flush the line with normal saline before and after administration to prevent precipitation
C) administered through peripheral intravenous sites only
D) monitor for hypertension
Be) flush the line with normal saline before and after administration to prevent precipitation
– Seney Tillman is very irritating to the veins and incompatible with all fluids except normal saline. Flushing with normal saline before and after minimizes precipitation. You do not need an infusion pump when administering via IV push, and administration via central lines is preferred
The patient receiving funny tell when (Dilantin) has a CM drug level drawn. Which level of the nurses note as therapeutic?
A) 8 mcg/mL
B) 30 mcg/mL
C) 12 mcg/mL
D) 6 mcg/mL
C) 12 mcg/mL
– Therapeutic serum drug levels for phenytoin are between 10 and 20 mcg/mL
The nurse instruct the patient receiving Phenytoin (Dilantin) to visit the dentist regularly and perform frequent oral hygiene. What common side effects is the nurse educating the patient about for this medication?
A) gingival hyperplasia
B) oral candidiasis
C) increased risk of dental abscesses
D) increased incidence of dental caries
A) gingival hyperplasia
– A side effect of phenytoin is overgrowth of gum tissue, or gingival hyperplasia. This can be minimized by frequent oral hygiene.
While completing discharge activity for patients prescribed and antiepileptic drug, the nurse instructs patient that what potential complication could occur if he abruptly stopped taking antiepileptic drug?
A) rebound seizure activity
B) acute withdrawal syndrome
C) hypotension
D) Confusion and delirium
A) rebound seizure activity
– Abrupt withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs can cause rebound seizure activity
