Which explanation for the prescription of donepezil (Aricept) would the nurse provide for a patient in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease?
a. It will increase the metabolism of excess GABA.
b. Excess dopamine will be prevented from attaching to receptor sites.
c. Serotonin deficiency will be managed through a prolonged reuptake period.
d. The acetylcholine deficiency will be managed by inhibiting cholinesterase.
ANS: D
Decreased levels of acetylcholine are thought to produce many of the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The inhibiting action the drug has on cholinesterase will slow down the breakdown of acetylcholine and so delay the onset of symptoms. The other neurotrans-mitters (GABA, dopamine, and serotonin) are not currently believed to play a role in Alz-heimer's disease.
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Order: Gentamicin sulfate 2.5 mg/kg IV q.12h., infuse in 20 mL DW over 1h via pump. The label on the vial reads, "10 mg/mL," and the child weighs 10 pounds. At what rate will you set the IV pump to run, in milliliters per hour?
1. 20.6 mL/h 2. 25.7 mL/h 3. 21.1 mL/h 4. 24.5 mL/h
A client is noted to have a high level of non-goal-directed motor activity, running from chair to chair
in the solarium. He is wide eyed and seems terror stricken. He cries "They're coming! They're coming!" He neither follows staff direction nor responds to verbal efforts to calm him. The initial nursing intervention of highest priority is to a. provide for client safety. b. increase environmental stimuli. c. respect the client's personal space. d. encourage clarification of feelings.
A frail, older patient is in the emergency room in severe respiratory distress. The patient has had repeated hospitalizations for the same thing. After stabilizing the patient, which action by the nurse is most appropriate?
a. Determine what the patient's end-of-life wishes are. b. Assess the family caregiver for compliance with treatment. c. Administer intravenous (IV) fluids at a rapid rate. d. Prepare to vaccinate the patient against pneumonia.
Persons with AD are at risk for:
a. Infection b. Stroke c. Heart attack d. Diarrhea