Chapter 10: Analgesics Test, Narcotic Analgesic – Pharmacology for Nurses: Practical Applications
The key terms in this Pharmacology course include Analgesics Test, Narcotic Analgesic, Patient, Opioid, Nurse, Respiratory Rate, Adverse Effects, Pharmacology, Medication, Disease, Naloxone (Narcan), Pneumonia, Codeine, Morphine, Abdominal Surgery, Cough suppressant, Morphine Sulfate, Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Which medication is used to treat a patient with severe adverse effects of a narcotic analgesic and reverse the adverse effects?
Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol)
Naloxone (Narcan)
Flumazenil (Romazicon)
Naloxone is the narcotic antagonist that will reverse the effects, both adverse and therapeutic, of opioid narcotic analgesics.
A patient with a diagnosis of pneumonia asks the nurse, “Why am I receiving codeine when I have no pain?” The nurse’s response is based on knowledge that codeine also has what effect?
Bronchodilation
Expectorant
Cough suppressant
Increases sputum production
Codeine provides both analgesic and antitussive (cough suppressant) therapeutic effects.
The nurse is preparing to administer an intravenous injection of morphine to a patient. The nurse assesses a respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min. What is the appropriate action of the nurse?
Administer a smaller dose and document in the patient’s record.
Check the pulse oximeter reading and reevaluate respiratory rate in 1 hour.
Administer the next prescribed dose intramuscularly.
Withhold the medication and notify the health care provider.
Respiratory depression is an adverse effect of opioid analgesia. Therefore, because the patient’s respiratory rate is below normal, the nurse should withhold the morphine and notify the health care provider.
A patient had abdominal surgery this morning. The patient is groggy but complaining of severe pain around the incision. What is the most important assessment data to consider before the nurse administers a dose of morphine sulfate to the patient?
The patient’s respiratory rate
The appearance of the incision
The date of the patient’s last bowel movement
The patient’s pulse rate
One of the most serious adverse effects of opioids is respiratory depression. The nurse must assess the patient’s respiratory rate before administering an opioid. The other options are incorrect.
The nurse is assessing a patient for contraindications to drug therapy with acetaminophen (Tylenol). Which patient should not receive acetaminophen?
A patient who is complaining of a mild headache
A patient with a history of liver disease
A patient with a history of peptic ulcer disease
A patient with a fever of 101° F (38.3° C)
Liver disease is a contraindication to the use of acetaminophen. Fever and mild headache are both possible indications for the medication. Having a history of peptic ulcer disease is not a contraindication.
A patient has been treated for lung cancer for 3 years. Over the past few months, the patient has noticed that the opioid analgesic is not helping as much as it had previously and more medication is needed for the same pain relief. The nurse is aware that this patient is experiencing which of these?
Opioid abstinence syndrome
Opioid addiction
Opioid toxicity
Opioid tolerance
Opioid tolerance is a common physiologic result of long-term opioid use. Patients with opioid tolerance require larger doses of the opioid agent to maintain the same level of analgesia. This situation does not describe toxicity (overdose), addiction, or abstinence syndrome (withdrawal).