442
P A R T 4
Drugs acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Farrell, M. & Dempsey, J. (2014).
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(3rd edn). Sydney: Lippincott Williams
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C H E C K Y O U R U N D E R S T A N D I N G
Answers to the questions in this chapter can be found in
Appendix A at the back of this book.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Select the best answer to the following.
1.
Non-depolarising NMJ blockers:
a.
antagonise acetylcholine to prevent
depolarisation of muscle cells.
b.
act as agonists of acetylcholine, leading to
depolarisation of muscle cells.
c.
prevent the repolarisation of muscle cells.
d.
are associated with painful muscle contractions
on administration.
2.
Curare is used as a poison on arrow tips in some
cultures. Curare:
a.
is a depolarising NMJ blocker.
b.
causes muscle paralysis in the brain.
c.
is not affected by cooking.
d.
has no clinical use today.
3.
Suxamethonium has a more rapid onset of action
and a shorter duration of activity than the non-
depolarising NMJ blockers because it:
a.
does not bind well to receptor sites.
b.
rapidly crosses the blood–brain barrier and is lost.
c.
is broken down by acetylcholinesterase that is
found in the plasma.
d.
is very unstable.
4.
When planning the care of a person who is to receive
a NMJ blocker, the nurse or midwife would expect
which of the following about the person?
a.
Transfer to an intensive care unit would be
essential.
b.
Intubation would be necessary to maintain
respirations.
c.
He would have no memory of any events.
d.
No adverse effects would occur after the drug is
stopped.
5.
Malignant hyperthermia can occur with any
NMJ blocker, but it most often occurs with
suxamethonium. The nurse or midwife would
expect to see which drug ordered?
a.
phenobarbitone
b.
pancuronium
c.
dantrolene
d.
diazepam
6.
A person’s recovery from an NMJ blocker:
a.
is predictable, based on the drug given.
b.
can be affected by genetic enzyme deficiency.
c.
can always be ensured because of the drug
half-life.
d.
can be shortened by administration of oxygen.
7.
When preparing NMJ blockers for administration,
it is important that they:
a.
are not mixed in with any alkaline solutions.
b.
are not exposed to light.
c.
are not mixed with any other drug.
d.
are not mixed with heparin.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
Select all that apply.
1.
The nurse or midwife would expect administration
of a NMJ blocker as the drug of choice to
accomplish which of the following?
a.
facilitate endotracheal intubation
b.
facilitate mechanical ventilation
c.
prevent injury during electroconvulsive therapy
d.
relieve pain during labour and birth
e.
treat myasthenia gravis
f.
treat a person with a history of malignant
hyperthermia
