Author Question: A client with an anxiety disorder is exhibiting agitation after missing some doses of diazepam ... (Read 95 times)

notis · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A client with an anxiety disorder is exhibiting agitation after missing some doses of diazepam (Valium). The nurse interprets the aggression as relating to which cause?

A) Habituation
B) Paradoxical excitation
C) Addiction
D) Tolerance

Question 2

A client who is experiencing acute alcohol withdrawal has been given a dose of haloperidol (Haldol) to treat his increasing agitation. Which of the following effects would the nurse recognize as a tertiary effect of drug administration?

A) The client expresses an understanding of the drug's intended effect.
B) The neurotransmitters affected by Haldol interact with neuropeptides and hormones.
C) The Haldol is synthesized, released, and metabolized by the client's body.
D) The client exhibits a reduction in his agitation.

kjohnson · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
A rebound phenomenon, referred to as paradoxical excitation, may occur after the abrupt discontinuation of benzodiazepines. The client may become more anxious, exhibit aggressive or antisocial behavior, or experience withdrawal symptoms of confusion, toxic psychosis, convulsions, or a condition resembling delirium tremens. Habituation is a term used to describe a continuous or intermittent craving for a substance to avoid a dysphoric or unpleasant mood state. Addiction is a state of chronic or recurrent drug intoxication, characterized by psychological and physical dependence as well as tolerance. Tolerance refers to the client's ability to obtain a desired effect from a specific dose of a drug.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
Tertiary effects are the final changes in the clinical symptoms induced by a drug. Primary effects occur as a drug is synthesized, released, and metabolized and as it acts on the receptor sites of a neurotransmitter system, and secondary effects result from interactions among the neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and hormones as they influence each other's function in the brain.