A patient in pain requests the prescribed pain medication, which is an opioid. Which nursing assessment is essential before administering the opioid?

Blood pressure

Temperature

Pulse

Respiratory

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Choice A reason: Blood pressure matters but isn’t primary; opioids rarely cause acute hypotension initially, and respiratory depression is a more immediate life-threatening risk.

Choice B reason: Temperature is unrelated; opioids don’t primarily affect fever, and this assessment doesn’t address the critical safety concern of opioid administration.

Choice C reason: Pulse is secondary; opioids may slow heart rate mildly, but respiratory suppression is the urgent risk, requiring priority monitoring before dosing.

Choice D reason: Respiratory rate is critical; opioids depress the brainstem, risking apnea, and assessing breathing ensures safety before administering this high-risk medication.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: One 5-mg tablet provides only 5 mg, far below the 15 mg ordered; this underdose fails to control hypertension effectively, risking cardiovascular complications like stroke or heart failure.

Choice B reason: Two tablets yield 10 mg, still short of 15 mg; this insufficient dose wouldn’t achieve therapeutic blood pressure reduction, leaving the patient at risk for hypertensive damage.

Choice C reason: Three 5-mg tablets equal 15 mg, matching the order precisely; this dose effectively inhibits angiotensin-converting enzyme, lowering blood pressure to a therapeutic range safely.

Choice D reason: Four tablets deliver 20 mg, exceeding the order; this overdose could cause hypotension, dizziness, or renal impairment due to excessive ACE inhibition beyond therapeutic needs.

A. Inhaled into the respiratory tract B. Absorbed through the skin C. Inserted into the rectum D. Dissolved under the tongue

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice A reason: Inhalation targets lungs; transdermal means skin absorption, not respiratory, and this route doesn’t match the prescribed method’s pharmacokinetic profile.

Choice B reason: Transdermal drugs absorb through skin layers; this delivers medication systemically via dermal capillaries, bypassing first-pass metabolism, as intended by the order.

Choice C reason: Rectal administration uses suppositories; transdermal is skin-based, not mucosal, and this route doesn’t align with the prescribed absorption method.

Choice D reason: Sublingual dissolves under the tongue; transdermal is cutaneous, not oral, and this differs entirely from the skin-based delivery system specified.

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A patient in pain requests the prescribed pain medication, which is an opioid. Which nursing assessment is essential before administering the opioid?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

The physician orders Zestril 15 mg po daily for hypertension. The medication is supplied in 5-mg tablets. How many tablets will the nurse administer?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A primary health-care provider prescribes a medication that must be administered transdermal. Which information about the route of administration does the nurse understand is related to a drug prescribed to be administered transdermal?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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