Cholinergic/Adrenergic drugs — MCQs

A 36-year-old woman with schizophrenia comes to the office for a follow-up appointment. She has been hospitalized 4 times in the past year, and she has failed to respond to multiple trials of antipsychotic medications. Six weeks ago, she was brought to the emergency department by her husband because of a bizarre behavior, paranoid delusions, and hearing voices that others did not hear. She was started on a new medication, and her symptoms have improved. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 13.8 g/dL Leukocyte count 1,200/mm3 Segmented neutrophils 6% Eosinophils 0% Lymphocytes 92% Monocytes 2% Platelet count 245,000/mm3 This patient was most likely started on which of the following medications?

A 25-year-old woman presents to an urgent care center following a presumed bee sting while at a picnic with her friends. She immediately developed a skin rash and swelling over her arms and face. She endorses diffuse itching over her torso. She denies any episodes similar to this and has no significant medical history. She does note that her father has an allergy to peanuts. Her blood pressure is 92/54 mm Hg, heart rate, 118/min, respiratory rate 18/min. On physical examination, the patient has severe edema over her face and inspiratory stridor. Of the following options, this patient is likely experiencing which of the following hypersensitivity reactions?

A 67-year-old man presents to the emergency room with malaise, nausea, and vomiting. Four hours prior to presentation, he was spraying insecticide at his farm when he started feeling nauseous. He has had multiple episodes of diarrhea and has vomited non-bloody, non-bilious fluid twice. He also complains of muscle cramps and tremors. His past medical history is notable for hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and a prior myocardial infarction. He takes aspirin, metoprolol, metformin, lisinopril, and atorvastatin. He has a 40-pack-year smoking history and drinks 3-4 shots of whiskey per day. His temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), blood pressure is 148/88 mmHg, pulse is 96/min, and respirations are 22/min. He is alert and oriented to person and place but not to time. He is diaphoretic and tremulous. His pupils are 2 mm bilaterally. The patient's clothing is removed, and he is placed in a medical gown. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial treatment for this patient?

A 32-year-old man presents with difficulty sleeping and ‘feeling low’ for the past 6 months. Although he denies any suicidal thoughts, he admits to having an occasional feeling of hopelessness and loss of concentration at work. For the last 2 months, he has made excuses to avoid meeting his friends. He got married 1 year ago. The couple plans to try to have a child. He was started on sertraline 3 months ago and says it has not helped his depressive symptoms. He says he has also developed erectile dysfunction since starting the medication, which has been an issue since he and his wife would like to have a child. Past medical history is insignificant. The patient is afebrile and vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination is unremarkable. Laboratory studies, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), are within normal limits. When switching drugs, which of the following would be most appropriate for this patient?

A 61-year-old man decides to undergo surgery for a hip replacement after seeing no improvement in his pain with non-operative treatment. At some point during the surgery, he is administered an agent that results in fasciculations in the patient's extremities. This was the expected response to the administered agent so no intervention was needed. After a while, the fasciculations stop and remain stopped for the remainder of the surgery. Consider the period of time during which the patient had fasciculations and subsequently the period of time after the fasciculations stopped. If the effects of the administered agent needed to be reversed during each of these two time periods respectively, which of the following agents should be administered during each time period?

A 70-year-old man with a history of Alzheimer dementia presents to the emergency department with a change in his behavior. The patient has been more confused recently and had a fever. Upon presentation, he is too confused to answer questions. His temperature is 103°F (39.4°C), blood pressure is 102/68 mmHg, pulse is 157/min, respirations are 22/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. The patient is given 3 liters of IV fluids and acetaminophen and his vitals improve. He is also less confused. The patient is asking where he is and becomes combative and strikes a nurse when he finds out he has to be admitted to the hospital. He is given diphenhydramine for sedation and put in soft restraints. His mental status subsequently worsens and he becomes much more aggressive, spitting at nurses and attempting to bite his restraints. He also complains of abdominal pain. A post void residual volume is notable for a urine volume of 750 mL. Which of the following is the etiology of this patient's recent mental status change?

A 78-year-old man suffers a fall in a nursing home and is brought to the emergency room. A right hip fracture is diagnosed, and he is treated with a closed reduction with internal fixation under spinal anesthesia. On the second postoperative day, the patient complains of pain in the lower abdomen and states that he has not urinated since the surgery. An ultrasound shows increased bladder size and volume. Which of the following is the mechanism of action of the drug which is most commonly used to treat this patient’s condition?

A 49-year-old man presents to his primary care physician complaining of multiple symptoms. He states that over the past 8 months he has noticed voice changes and difficulty swallowing. The dysphagia started with just dry foods like crackers but has progressed to include smoothies and ice cream. He works as a newspaper editor and has also noticed trouble writing with his dominant hand. He is accompanied by his wife, who complains that he snores and drools in his sleep. His medical history is significant for hypertension and a bicuspid aortic valve. He takes hydrochlorothiazide. On physical examination, there is atrophy of the right hand. The patient’s speech is slow. A systolic murmur at the right upper sternal border is appreciated. Tapping of the left patellar tendon causes the patient’s left lower extremity to forcefully kick out. Stroking of the plantar aspect of the patient’s left foot causes his left toes to extend upward. Which of the following therapies is most likely to slow the progression of the patient’s symptoms?

A 79-year-old man, hospitalized for overnight monitoring after elective surgery, is found on morning rounds to be confused and disoriented. He was recovering well in the post-anesthesia care unit before being moved up to the inpatient floor unit; however, he was found to be delirious and agitated overnight. Therefore, he was given a dose of a drug that affects the opening frequency of a neuronal ion channel. During morning rounds, he is found to have weakness, tremors, uncoordinated muscle movements, blurred vision, and disorientation. Which of the following could be used to reverse the drug that was administered to this patient?

A 9-year-old boy is brought to the physician by his mother because of poor performance in school for the last year. He has difficulty sitting still at his desk, does not follow the teacher's instructions, and frequently blurts out answers in class. He often gets sent outside the classroom for failing to work quietly. At hockey practice, he does not wait his turn and has difficulty listening to his coach's instructions. His mother reports that he is easily distracted when she speaks with him and that he often forgets his books at home. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?