The nurse administers amoxicillin 500 mg. The half-life of this ...

[newbem]

The nurse administers amoxicillin 500 mg. The half-life of this drug is approximately 1 hour. At what point would the drug level in the body be 62.5 mg if the drug was not administered again?
 
  A) 1 hours after the original dose
  B) 2 hours after the original dose
  C) 3 hours after the original dose
  D) 4 hours after the original dose

Question 2

A 91-year-old man is being treated for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with pentamidine (NebuPent). What should the nurse measure when assessing this patient for adverse effects of the medication?
 
  A) Liver function tests
  B) Serum potassium
  C) Daily blood pressure
  D) Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine

[Silverbeard98]

Answer to Question 1

C
Feedback:
The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one-half of the peak level it previously achieved. At a dose of 500 mg the drug level would be 250 mg in 1 hour, 125 mg in 2 hours, 62.5 mg in 3 hours, and 31.25 mg in 4 hours so the correct answer is 3 hours.

Answer to Question 2

A
Feedback:
Patients receiving antiprotozoal agents should be monitored regularly to detect any serious adverse effects. Liver function tests are of particular importance to determine the appropriateness of therapy and to monitor for toxicity. Serum potassium, BUN, and creatinine would indicate kidney damage, which is not normally a risk with this drug. Blood pressure is not indicated for this medication but is an early indicator of health deterioration and is usually included in all provisions of care.

[newbem]

TYSM

[kusterl]

Excellent