Pharm Final

Why should the provider wear gloves when administering nitroglycerin?

To avoid accidental transdermal absorption of nitroglycerin by the provider

What drug is used to treat torsades de pointes?

Magnesium sulfate

How should you handle morphine when only part of a pre‑loaded syringe is administered?

Waste the unused portion according to controlled‑substance protocol with a witness

When is norepinephrine contraindicated?

When the patient has untreated hypovolemia

What is identified in pharmacokinetics?

How the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes a drug

What will parasympathetic (muscarinic) stimulation result in?

Bradycardia, bronchoconstriction, and increased GI activity

What is the definition of diffusion?

Movement of molecules from high concentration to low concentration

Which drug provides the strongest positive inotropic, chronotropic, and vasoconstrictive effects?

Epinephrine

Why would dopamine administration be ineffective therapy for a Parkinson’s disease patient?

Dopamine cannot cross the blood–brain barrier to reach the CNS

How do you calculate a drip rate?

(Volume to be administered × drip factor) ÷ time in minutes

What is the standard fluid bolus for a pediatric patient suffering from dehydration?

20 mL/kg

Which antidepressant is expected to have the lowest occurrence of severe side effects?

Sertraline (an SSRI)

What is the enteral route?

Delivery of medication through the gastrointestinal tract

Epinephrine 1:1000 has which of the following considerations?

It is the concentration used for intramuscular dosing

What is prochlorperazine used for?

Managing nausea, vomiting, and vertigo

Why is IM glucagon less likely to work in newborns?

Newborns have insufficient liver glycogen stores for glucagon to mobilize

If a patient is prescribed lithium and diazepam, what disorders would you suspect?

Bipolar disorder with anxiety

Which drug is most commonly given in the prehospital setting for absorption of an ingested poison?

Activated charcoal

Why might elderly patients have a different response to a medication?

Age‑related changes in metabolism, excretion, and body composition alter drug effects

Which medication prescribed for grand mal seizures is a barbiturate?

Phenobarbital

Which of the following are organophosphate nerve agents?

Sarin, Soman, Tabun, and VX

An IV established in the medial aspect of a patient’s left forearm is most likely in which vessel?

Basilic vein

What causes the sedation side effect often seen with first‑generation antihistamines?

High lipid solubility allowing the drug to cross the blood–brain barrier and block central H1 receptors

Which statement best describes your responsibility as an EMT regarding medication administration?

Verify all medication rights, ensure indications/contraindications are checked, and administer only medications authorized by standing orders or medical control

Which of the following would most likely cause a higher concentration of a medication in a patient’s body?

Renal failure reducing drug excretion

What should be administered to a hypoglycemic neonate?

IV dextrose

In which condition should phenylephrine be avoided?

Use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Which antipsychotic would be expected to have the lowest chance of side effects at therapeutic doses?

Aripiprazole (second-generation)

Which medication administration route has the fastest onset of action?

IV

What is the typical drug‑reference dose of levalbuterol when administered for an acute asthma attack?

1.25 mg

Which of the following is a contraindication or precaution for rectal medication administration?

Recent rectal surgery or active rectal bleeding

Vasopressin would most likely be administered to a patient suffering from

Septic shock with refractory hypotension

Which medication lowers blood pressure by relaxing vascular smooth muscle and slowing AV‑node conduction to reduce cardiac output?

Diltiazem

Phenobarbital sodium IV push (200 mg/mL) is most commonly used to treat which disorder?

Status epilepticus

What is the preferred fluid to replace lost fluid in situations involving burn patients?

Lactated Ringer’s (LR)

Which statement best defines pharmacokinetics?

How the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes a drug

Which of the following is MOST likely to cause hemolysis while obtaining a blood sample?

Applying excessive suction or using a needle that is too small

Pralidoxime is administered to a victim suffering from what type of poisoning?

Organophosphate or nerve agent poisoning

Which of the following is a common side effect of nitroglycerin?

Headache

Positive chronotropic effects are best defined as:

An increase in heart rate

MAOIs treat depression by which mechanism of action?

Inhibiting monoamine oxidase to increase serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine levels

Which drug is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent used in drug‑assisted intubation?

Succinylcholine

A normal saline bolus is MOST appropriate for which patient?

Patient with hypotension and signs of poor perfusion

Lidocaine belongs to which class of antidysrhythmic drugs? (Sodium Channel Blocker)

Class 1B

What class of antiarrhythmic drug is procainamide?

Class Ia

Drugs are most often expelled from the body by which route?

Renal excretion (urine)

Epinephrine’s adrenergic properties place it in which drug category?

Alpha‑ and beta‑adrenergic agonist (sympathomimetic catecholamine)

What is the brand name of metaproterenol?

Alupent

What is the general cardiac action of Dilantin (phenytoin)?

Improves AV‑node conduction and stabilizes ventricular electrical activity

Which of the following is a hypotonic solution?

0.45% Normal Saline

Which medication is used to treat acetaminophen overdose?

N‑acetylcysteine (NAC)

What is the primary side effect of oxytocin?

Uterine hyperstimulation (excessive contractions)

Acute dystonic reactions caused by haloperidol are typically treated with which medication?

Diphenhydramine

Nalbuphine (Nubain) belongs to which drug classification?

Mixed opioid agonist–antagonist (κ‑agonist / μ‑antagonist)

Which medication must be mixed with a diluent prior to administration?

Glucagon

A medication that may cause a fetus to be deformed or killed is described as:

Teratogenic

An acetaminophen overdose can lead to which life‑threatening condition?

Hepatic Necrosis

Which class of medications must only be administered when airway control and vasoactive drugs are immediately available?

Neuromuscular blocking agents (paralytics)

Which of the following is a synthetic sympathetic agonist?

Phenylephrine

The mechanism of action for vecuronium differs from succinylcholine in which principal way?

Vecuronium competitively blocks acetylcholine receptors, while succinylcholine activates them and causes persistent depolarization.

Where was atropine originally obtained?

Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade)

Why do we give nitroglycerin to patients we suspect are having a heart attack?

It reduces preload and afterload, decreasing cardiac workload and relieving ischemic pain.

What may be given in a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdose?

Sodium bicarbonate

What is the correct therapeutic dosage range for ibuprofen in standard drug references?

200–800 mg per dose

What does butorphanol do?

Mixed opioid agonist–antagonist that provides analgesia with less respiratory depression

Why would you hang a 100 mL bag of D5W for an adult patient?

To deliver medications requiring a small-volume carrier line

By what mechanism does amiodarone prolong repolarization and the effective refractory period of cardiac muscle?

Potassium channel blockade