Pharmacology for Nursing Updated
2024 Exam Questions And Verified
Solutions
Clindamycin (Cleocin) - ANSWER ✔ Chronic bone infection, GU,
intraabdominal infections. May cause colitis. Obtain cultures
before beginning antibiotic therapy.
Hint clindamycin - ANSWER ✔ clinda sounds like an old ladies
name. Old ladies have bone issues. Clindamycin is for bone
infection and intraabdmoninal infections.
Quinolones (-floxacin) - ANSWER ✔ Ciprofloxin (CIPRO),
Norfloxacin, Levofloxacin (Levaquin), Moxifloxacin (AVELOX).
Great oral absorption, but reduced by antacids. Against gram
negative bacteria. For respiratory infections, bone and joint
infections, GI, skin, STDs and Anthrax.
Quinolones Adverse Effects - ANSWER ✔ headache, thrush
(oral candidas), prolonged QT interval, photosensitivity, titinus.
Black box warning: risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture. NO
EXERCISE.
Quinolones hint - ANSWER ✔ Quin sounds like queen. A queen
does not like pictures being taken (photosensitivity) and she does
not exercise (tendonitis) because her heart cannot take it
,(prolonged QT intervals). Queen never has heart burn (no
antacids)
Vancomycin (Vancocin) - ANSWER ✔ Bactericidal. MRSA and
gram positive. Monitor blood levels. Can cause ototoxicity and
nephrotoxicity. Infuse less than 60 minutes (faster=hypotension).
Red Man Syndrome (order antihistamine). Hydrate 2L/day.
Monitor trough levels.
Vancomycin hint - ANSWER ✔ Vancomycin is a vampire aka
RED MAN. He is a very positive (gram positive) guy tho even
though he cant hear well (ototoxicity). He needs blood because
his kidneys aren't working well (nephrotoxicity). He needs at least
2 L a day.
Daptomycin (Cubicin) - ANSWER ✔ New class: lipopeptide.
Used in complicated skin and soft tissue infections.
Quinupristin and Dalfoprisitin (Synercid) - ANSWER ✔ 30:70
combination. Synergistic. For bacteremia due to Vancomycin
resistance enterococcus (VRE) and other skin infections. Can
cause anthralgias (joint pain) and myalgia (muscle pain).
Synercid hint - ANSWER ✔ Synercid is this superhero who can
fight VRE bacteremia. Synercid's enemy is his own joint and
muscle pain.
Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin) - ANSWER ✔ Primary use for UTIs.
Use carefully in those with impaired renal function. Drug
concentrations found in urine. May cause hepatoxicity. Hydrate
patient well.
Macrolides - ANSWER ✔ Erythromycin, Azithromycin,
Clarithromycin (BIAXIN), dirithromycin. Is bacteriostatic but in
,larger amounts is bactericidal. For strept, upper/lower respiratory
infection. Spirotochetal (syphilis, Lyme disease), Gonorrhea,
chlamydia, mycoplasm. Reacts with protein bound drugs.
Macrolides hint - ANSWER ✔ MAC is this big guy who likes
going to the Jersey Shore. He works out so he likes protein
(protein bound). He tans so he got yellow (jaundice). He likes
hooking up so he got syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia. He also got
a cold (URI, LRI) from staying out so late.
Clarithromycin - ANSWER ✔ For ulcer disease, helicobacter
pylori.
Erythromycin Adverse Effects - ANSWER ✔ Hepatoxicity, GI
Upset, jaundice. Take medication with an EMPTY stomach.
Reacts with protein drugs.
Metronidazole (Flagyl) - ANSWER ✔ For anaerobic organisms.
Intraabdominal and gynecological protozoa infection. Several
drug interactions.
Cephalosporins - ANSWER ✔ Semisynthetic. Bactericidal. Broad
spectrum.
Cephalosporins 1st Gen - ANSWER ✔ Gram positive. Cefadroxil,
cephradine, cefazolin, cephaloxin. For surgical prophylaxis and
staph. (hint you take it FIRST before a surgery)
Cephalosporins 2nd Gen - ANSWER ✔ Gram positive. cefaclor,
cefprozil, cefoxitin, cefuroxime. Cefaxitin is prophylactic for
abdominal surgeries.
Cefuroxime- prophylaxis
, Cephalosporins 3rd Gen - ANSWER ✔ Gram negative.
Cefriaxone is a one a day dose for CNS infections.
Cephalosporins 4th Gen - ANSWER ✔ Gram positive. Cefepime
for UTIs.
Cephalosporins 5th Gen - ANSWER ✔ Ceftobipriole. Broad
spectrum. MRSA and psuedonomas. Take with food. Do not take
with alcohol
Penicillin - ANSWER ✔ Cloxacillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin,
oxacillin. Bactericidal. Gram positive bacteria. Strep, entero,
staphy. Allergy in 0.7-4% of cases. Cross sensitivity with
cephalosporins.
Penicillin Indications - ANSWER ✔ Interactions with NSAIDs, oral
contraceptives and warfarin. Side effects: GI upset. Take with
water (NO JUICE). Monitor for 30 minutes to see if allergic.
Carbapenems - ANSWER ✔ Broad spectrum. For complicated
body cavity and connective tissue infections. May cause seizers.
Impenem/cilastin (PRIMAXIN) treats bone, joint, skin and soft
tissue infections.
Linezolid (ZYVOX) - ANSWER ✔ used to treat VRE, VREF
(faecium), hostpital acquired skin infections including MRSA.
Cause: hypotension, seratonin syndrome, reactions to tyramine-
containing foods (fermented foods like cheese, alcohol, pickles)
Sulfonamide - ANSWER ✔ can be combined with trimethoprim,
Bactrim, Septra, or co-trimoxazole (SMX-TMP)
For UTIs, URI (pneumonea jirovecii).
