Pharmacology practice questions

Answer: D) Ventrogluteal

• AIncorrect. That's for subcutaneous injections.
• BIncorrect. It risks sciatic nerve injury.
• CIncorrect. That's for intradermal tests.
• DCorrect. The dorsogluteal site risks sciatic nerve injury.

Answer: C) Quickly open the airways

• AIncorrect. That's an anticoagulant.
• BIncorrect. That's a statin.
• CCorrect. It's a rescue inhaler.
• DIncorrect. That's an antibiotic.

Answer: B) 10 mL

For medication dosing, 1 teaspoon equals 5 mL, so a 2-teaspoon order means measuring 10 mL with a calibrated device, not a kitchen spoon.

• AIncorrect. 30 mL is 6 teaspoons, three times the ordered dose. This mistake comes from treating the order as tablespoons.
• BCorrect. One measuring teaspoon equals 5 mL, so 2 teaspoons × 5 mL = 10 mL.
• CIncorrect. 15 mL is 3 teaspoons, which is more than the ordered dose.
• DIncorrect. 2.5 mL is half a teaspoon, far less than the ordered 2 teaspoons.

Answer: C) Corticosteroids

Prednisone is a corticosteroid. It reduces inflammation and changes immune system activity, so it is used for conditions such as lupus, arthritis, and severe allergies.

• AIncorrect. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Prednisone does not kill bacteria. It reduces inflammation and changes how the immune system works.
• BIncorrect. Statins lower blood cholesterol. They are not used to control lupus or other inflammatory flares.
• CCorrect. Prednisone is a corticosteroid. It can replace steroids the body normally makes, and it reduces swelling and redness by changing the way the immune system works. That is why it is used for conditions such as lupus, arthritis, and severe allergic reactions.
• DIncorrect. Beta blockers act on the heart and blood vessels to lower heart rate and blood pressure. They have no anti-inflammatory role in lupus.

Answer: B) 200 mg

• AIncorrect. That divides.
• BCorrect. 10 mg × 20 kg = 200 mg.
• CIncorrect. That ignores the per-kg dose.
• DIncorrect. That's ten times too much.

Answer: A) The liver

• ACorrect. The kidneys mainly excrete them.
• BIncorrect. The liver is the main site.
• CIncorrect. The liver is the main site.
• DIncorrect. The liver is the main site.

Answer: B) Three times: on removal from storage, while preparing, and before giving

Safe practice is to check the medication label against the order at least three times: on removal from storage, during preparation, and right before giving it. Every check happens before the patient gets the drug.

• AIncorrect. One check gives no chance to catch an error made while picking up or preparing the drug. Standard practice is at least three checks.
• BCorrect. Checking the label at three separate points (taking it from storage, preparing the dose, and just before giving it) gives repeated chances to catch a wrong drug, dose, or route before the patient receives it.
• CIncorrect. A check after the dose is given can't prevent an error. The final check has to happen before administration.
• DIncorrect. Neither check happens while the medication itself is being handled, so a wrong container or dose could still reach the patient.

Answer: B) Instillation

• AIncorrect. This is breathed in.
• BCorrect. Drops placed into the eye, ear or nose are instilled.
• CIncorrect. This is an injection.
• DIncorrect. This is a skin patch.

Answer: D) Type 2 diabetes

• AIncorrect. That's antibiotics.
• BIncorrect. That's statins.
• CIncorrect. That's levothyroxine.
• DCorrect. It lowers glucose production by the liver.

Answer: B) A U-100 insulin syringe, filled to the 20-unit mark

Insulin should be drawn up in an insulin syringe that matches the insulin's strength. For 100 units/mL (U-100) insulin, use a U-100 syringe and fill to the ordered unit mark.

• AIncorrect. 0.2 mL does contain 20 units, but tuberculin syringes are marked in mL rather than insulin units. Insulin should be measured with a syringe marked for that type of insulin, so you don't have to convert and risk a dosing error.
• BCorrect. 100 units/mL is standard U-100 insulin. The syringe's markings must match the insulin's strength. On a U-100 syringe each small notch is 1 unit, so filling to the 20 mark gives 20 units.
• CIncorrect. U-500 syringe markings are scaled for insulin five times stronger. With U-100 insulin, the 20 mark holds only about 4 units, a serious underdose. The syringe must match the insulin strength.
• DIncorrect. A 3-mL syringe is marked in mL with coarse markings. Measuring 0.2 mL in it is inaccurate, and it is not marked for insulin, so the risk of a dosing error is higher.