Chapter 46  Antianginal Agents

Chapter 46  Antianginal Agents

Complete Chapter Questions And Answers
 

Sample Questions

1. A nurse is providing patient teaching to a patient who has been experiencing unstable angina. What will
the nurse’s explanation of this condition include?

A) A coronary vessel has become completely occluded and is unable to deliver blood to your heart.

B) The pain is caused by a spasm of a blood vessel, not just from the vessel narrowing.

C) There is serious narrowing of a coronary artery that is causing a reduction in oxygen to the heart.

D) Your body’s response to a lack of oxygen in the heart muscle is pain.

Ans: C

Feedback:

Unstable angina is described as increased narrowing of coronary arteries with the heart experiencing
episodes of ischemia even at rest. If a coronary vessel is completely occluded and unable to deliver
blood to the cardiac muscle, a myocardial infarction has occurred. Prinzmetal’s angina is an unusual
form of angina caused by spasm of the blood vessel and not just by vessel narrowing. Although pain is
the body’s response to ischemia in the heart muscle, this description could encompass angina or a
myocardial infarction and is not specific enough to explain the condition.

2. The nurse cautions the patient taking nadolol (Corgard) for angina that they may experience what
adverse effect?

A) Dry mouth

B) Decreased exercise tolerance

C) Constipation

D) Problems with urination

Ans: B

Feedback:

Nadolol is a beta-blocker that can cause a decreased tolerance to exercise because of the inability to
experience the effects of the stress reaction. Dry mouth, constipation, and problems with urination are
effects often seen with anticholinergic drugs but not with beta-blockers.

3. A patient who has been taking cyclosporine to prevent rejection of a kidney transplant has had

Test Bank – Focus on Nursing Pharmacology (7th Edition by Amy Karch) 751

diltiazem ordered. Why would the nurse question this order?

A) Serious diltiazem toxicity could occur.

B) The combination may result in elevated or even toxic cyclosporine levels.

C) The combination could lead to kidney rejection.

D) A kidney recipient would not effectively excrete the diltiazem.

Ans: B

Feedback:

Potentially serious adverse effects to keep in mind include increased serum levels and toxicity of
cyclosporine if they are taken with diltiazem. This combination is not associated with diltiazem
toxicity. A functioning implanted kidney should still excrete diltiazem. This drug would not cause
rejection of a transplanted kidney.

4. A nurse is teaching the patient newly prescribed sublingual nitroglycerin how to take the medication.
What will the nurse instruct the patient to do first?

A) To check his radial pulse

B) To place the tablet in the buccal cavity

C) To take a sip of water

D) To lie down for 15 minutes before administration

Ans: C

Feedback:

The nurse should instruct the patient to take a sip of water to moisten the mucous membranes so the
tablet will dissolve quickly. The patient does not need to take his pulse or lie down before drug
administration. For sublingual administration, the patient will place the tablet under his tongue and not
in the buccal cavity (cheek area).

5. The nurse, caring for a patient taking a beta-blocker and a nitrate to treat angina, recognizes the need
for careful monitoring as the result of what secondary diagnosis?

A) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

B) Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

C) Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

D) Chronic urinary tract infection (UTI)

Ans: A

Feedback:

The nurse should assess for COPD, because the effect of beta-blockers in reducing effects of the
sympathetic nervous system could exacerbate the respiratory condition. RA, IBS, and chronic UTI are
not affected by the use of beta-blockers or nitrates to treat angina.