Check For Understanding:
1. Patient X has genital herpes and is using antiviral creams for her condition. Which of the
following is a potential side effect of the medication?
a. Vulvitis
b. Headache
c. Dizziness
d. Staining of the skin
ANSWER: A
RATIO: Vulvitis is the term for the inflammation of a vulva. This are the soft skin folds that
extend past the vagina. It is a sign that can appear in a variety of diseases such as genital
herpes. This can include irritations, wounds, allergies, and infections.
2. A 15 y/o patient came in for a severe case of respiratory flu and would need drug therapy.
Which of the following drugs should the nurse anticipate to be prescribed?
a. Acyclovir (Zovirax)
b. Amantadine (Symmetrel)
c. Abacavir (Ziagen)
d. Ganciclovir (Cytovene)
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Amantadine is used to treat or prevent a particular strain of the flu (influenza A). This
could assist to lessen the severity of the symptoms and shorten the recovery period. It is also
recommended to use Symmetrel (amantadine hydrochloride) to treat mild respiratory tract
infections brought on by the flu.
3. Which of the following antiviral agents is effective as treatment for H1N1?
a. Zidovudine
b. Acyclovir
c. Oseltamivir
d. Selzentry
ANSWER: C
RATIO: H1N1 is treated and prevented using antiviral medications like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) . It
functions by preventing the flu virus from replicating in your body and by lessening flu
symptoms.
4. A student nurse administering acyclovir was asked by the clinical instructor on how the drug
works. The student nurse would be correct by stating that this drug works in which way?
a. Unknown; but it is believed to be shedding the protein coat of the virus.
b. It competes with viral receptors found in the host cells
c. It takes away the necessary substances needed by viruses to form DNA chains
d. Trapping the viruses and disintegrating them directly
ANSWER: C
RATIO: It is believed that CMV and herpes virus agents disrupt the substrates needed by viruses
for this process, leading to the formation of shorter and less efficient DNA strands.
5. Which of the following prescribed antiviral should the nurse question for a patient with severe
hypokalemia?
a. Foscarnet
b. Cidofovir
c. Valganciclovir
d. Nevirapine
ANSWER: A
RATIO: Foscarnet complexes ionized calcium and subsequently reduces ionized calcium
concentrations, potentially leading to symptomatic hypocalcemia. It is used to treat recalcitrant
CMV and herpes infections in immunocompromised individuals.
6. Which enzyme is essential for the maturation of infectious viruses?
a. Reverse transcriptase
b. Protease
c. Nucleosidase
d. CCR5-ase
ANSWER: B
RATIO: The virus-encoded protease is an essential enzyme of retroviruses (PR).
Protease changes the virus into its maturation, infectious stage by cleaving polyproteins.
7. A senior nurse would be correct to advise her colleague to monitor which parameter in
patients receiving cyclosporine and zidovudine at the same time?
a. Skin lesion, temperature, and color
b. Flu-like symptoms
c. Level of consciousness
d. CBC with differential count
ANSWER: C
RATIO: Cyclosporine and zidovuline has a side effect of severe drowsiness and lethargy, the
nurse to monitor the level of consciousness of the patient in order to diminish the potential
additional risk to the patient.
8. The only protease inhibitor that is not teratogenic.
a. Darunavir
b. Indinavir
c. Fosamprenavir
d. Saquinavir
ANSWER: D
RATIO: The only protease inhibitor that is not teratogenic is Saquinavir. In either animal or
human studies, saquinavir has not shown signs of teratogenicity.
9. Which of the following physical assessment findings will alert the nurse for anthelmintic drug
toxicity in elderly patients?
a. Muscle strength +2
b. Blunt liver edge upon palpation
c. 10 bowel sounds in one minute on right lower quadrant (RLQ) upon auscultation
d. Non-palpable spleen
ANSWER: B
RATIO: A palpably blunt liver might indicate hepatomegaly or a persistent inflammatory state
that is unfavorably induced by anthelmintics. Hepatomegaly causes the liver to expand. The right
lobe of the liver may occasionally also be palpable in young infants and thin adults, in addition to
the liver border. It is consistent, smooth, and non-tender and descends to contact the palpating
fingers during inspiration.
10.Which drug is indicated for threadworm infections?
a. albendazole
b. ivermectin
c. pyrantel
d. mebendazole
ANSWER: B
RATIO: Ivermectin is used to treat strongyloidiasis (threadworm infection). The threadworm
(Strongyloides stercoralis), a member of the phylum Nematoda, may live freely and breed on the
soil while being a parasite in the human intestine.
