Chapter 12: Central Nervous System Depressants and Muscle Relaxants
Chapter 12: Central Nervous System Depressants and Muscle Relaxants MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. A patient who has received some traumatic news is panicking and asks for some medication to
help settle down. The nurse anticipates giving which drug that is most appropriate for this situation? a. Diazepam (Valium) b. Zolpidem (Ambien) c. Phenobarbital d. Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) ANS: A
Benzodiazepines such as diazepam are used as anxiolytics, or sedatives. Zolpidem is used as a hypnotic for sleep. Phenobarbital is not used as an anxiolytic but is used for seizure control. Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant and is not used to reduce anxiety. DIF: COGNITIVE LEVEL: Applying (Application) TOP: NURSING PROCESS: Planning MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 2. A patient has been taking phenobarbital for 2 weeks as part of his therapy for epilepsy. He tells
the nurse that he feels tense and that “the least little thing” bothers him now. Which is the correct explanation for this problem? a. These are adverse effects that usually subside after a few weeks. b. The drug must be stopped immediately because of possible adverse effects. c. This drug causes the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep period to increase, resulting in nightmares and restlessness. d. This drug causes deprivation of REM sleep and may cause the inability to deal with normal stress. ANS: D
Barbiturates such as phenobarbital deprive people of REM sleep, which can result in agitation and the inability to deal with normal stress. A rebound phenomenon occurs when the drug is stopped (not during therapy), and the proportion of REM sleep increases, sometimes resulting in nightmares. The other options are incorrect. DIF: COGNITIVE LEVEL: Understanding (Comprehension) TOP: NURSING PROCESS: Evaluation MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Basic Care and Comfort 3. A 50-year-old man who has been taking phenobarbital for 1 week is found very lethargic and
unable to walk after eating out for dinner. His wife states that he has no other prescriptions and that he did not take an overdose—the correct number of pills is in the bottle. The nurse suspects that which of these may have happened? a. He took a multivitamin. b. He drank a glass of wine. c. He took a dose of aspirin.
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