Exam #2 Question&answer

A health care professional is talking to a patient who is newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about how levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet) will help control her symptoms. With which of the following mechanisms is the drug effective in treating the disorder? 1. Inhibits norepinephrine metabolism in the brain 2. Inhibits serotonin metabolism in the brain 3. Increases available dopamine in the brain 4. Increases available acetylcholine in the brain {Ans: Answer 3. Rationale: Levodopa/carbidopa, a dopaminergic agent, can act by increasing dopamine in the extrapyramidal center of the brain, reducing involuntary motion.}A 32-year-old female patient has been taking lorazepam (Ativan) for her anxiety and is brought into the emergency department after taking 30-days' worth at one time. What antagonist for benzodiazepines may be used in this case? 1. Epinephrine 2. Atropine 3. Flumazenil 4. Naloxone {Ans: Answer 3. Rationale: The competitive antagonist drug used in cases of benzodiazepine overdose is flumazenil (Romazicon). Option 1, 2, and 4 are incorrect. Epinephirne, an adrenergic agonist, is not an antagonist to the benzodiazepines. Atropine is an anticholinergic, and naloxone is a competitive antagonist to opioid (narcotic) drugs.}A client has been taking phenytoin (Dilantin) for control of generalized seizures, tonic clonic type. The client