Practice Quiz

NCLEX-RN

Category - Pharmacological

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A patient with Parkinson’s disease is taking levodopa. After four days, the patient calls the clinic complaining that his symptoms have not been relieved by the drug. The correct response of the nurse is:
  1. “The therapeutic effect will be felt after a few more weeks.”
  2. “Are you taking your medications on time?”
  3. “Don’t worry, in a few days your symptoms will disappear permanently.”
  4. “The doctor needs to evaluate you further.”
Explanation
Answer: A - The nurse should inform the patient that almost all antiparkinson drugs need a few weeks for its beneficial effects to occur. In contrast, amantadine (Symmetrel) takes only 1-5 days before symptoms are relieved. The physician may need to increase or add other medications if the symptoms are not relieved in a few weeks. Option C is incorrect; antiparkinson drugs don’t serve to cure, but only to increase the patient’s quality of life.
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