A nurse is explaining drug metabolism to a nursing student who ...

[londonang]

A nurse is explaining drug metabolism to a nursing student who asks about glucuronidation. The nurse knows that this is a process that allows drugs to be:
 
  a. excreted in hydrolyzed form in the feces to reduce drug toxicity.
  b. reabsorbed from the urine into the renal circulation to minimize drug loss.
  c. recycled via the enterohepatic recirculation to remain in the body longer.
  d. transported across the renal tubules to be excreted in the urine.

Question 2

A patient who has been taking a medication with a side effect of drowsiness stops taking the medication after several weeks. The patient reports feeling anxious and jittery. The nurse under-stands that this response is due to:
 
  a. addiction.
  b. psychologic dependence.
  c. tolerance.
  d. withdrawal syndrome.

[EAN94]

Answer to Question 1

C
Glucuronidation of some drugs in the liver allows drugs to enter the bile, pass into the duodenum, and then be hydrolyzed to release the free drug. This is a repeating cycle of enterohepatic recir-culation, which allows drugs to remain in the body longer. Glucuronidated drugs that are more resistant to hydrolysis are excreted in the feces. Glucuronidation occurs in the enterohepatic cir-culation and not in the renal circulation.

Answer to Question 2

D
Withdrawal syndrome occurs when patients have developed a physical dependence on a drug and then often show symptoms that are the opposite of the drug's effect when the drug is with-drawn. Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking. Psychologic dependence is an intense subjective need for a drug. Tolerance develops when increased amounts of a drug are needed to achieve the drug's effects.

[londonang]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[jackie]

Gracias!