Published: 3 December 2020

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Quiz answers

Published: 3 December 2020

Prescriber Update 41(4): 83

December 2020

1. When prescribing medicines for older patients, how can the anticholinergic burden be reduced?
   1. Avoiding, reducing or deprescribing medicines with anticholinergic activity
   2. Replace medicines with alternatives that do not have anticholinergic activity
   3. Start treatment at a low dose and increase slowly to the lowest effective dose
   4. All of the above
   To reduce the anticholinergic burden in older patients, avoid, reduce, or deprescribe medicines with anticholinergic activity;  replace certain medicines with alternatives that do not have anticholinergic properties; start treatment at a low dose and increase slowly to the lowest effective dose. (June 2020)
2. True or False: Oral zinc may increase the absorption of copper.
   Oral zinc may inhibit the absorption of copper, leading to reduced copper levels, and potentially copper deficiency. (March 2020)
3. A patient taking empagliflozin experiences nausea, anorexia, abdominal pain, excessive thirst, difficulty breathing, confusion and sleepiness. Their blood glucose is normal. What should you do?
   These symptoms may be due to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). If DKA is suspected, discontinue treatment with empagliflozin, evaluate the patient and initiate treatment. (December 2020)
4. If concomitant use of azathioprine and allopurinol is necessary, what should the azathioprine dose be reduced to?
   1. 10 percent of the recommended dose
   2. 25 percent of the recommended dose
   3. 75 percent of the recommended dose
   4. No dose reduction is necessary
   Concomitant use of allopurinol and azathioprine is not recommended. However, if co-administration is necessary, reduce the dose of azathioprine to 25 percent of the recommended dose and closely monitor the patient’s blood count. (September 2020)
5. Sweet syndrome:
   1. Is associated with medicines that reduce the production of white blood cells
   2. Is treated with antibiotics
   3. Only affects the eyes and mouth
   4. None of the above.
   Sweet syndrome is associated with medicines that increase production of white blood cells; is treated with corticosteroids; skin lesions appear mostly on the limbs and neck. (December 2020)
6. Patients with a deficiency of CYP2D6 may have [increased / reduced] effect from tramadol. (June 2020)
7. For patients who have undergone major gastrointestinal surgery, which of the following are recommended strategies which can be used to manage their medicines?
   1. Dose by weight
   2. Use extended release formulations
   3. Use medicines which can be monitored where possible
   4. Switch to a non-oral form of the medicine if available
   Extended release formulations should be avoided. (September 2020)
8. Which of the following is a possible adverse reaction to long-term treatment with nitrofurantoin?
   1. Peripheral neuropathy
   2. Chronic interstitial lung disease
   3. Autoimmune-like hepatitis
   4. All of the above
   Peripheral neuropathy, interstitial lung disease and hepatitis are all possible adverse reactions to long-term nitrofurantoin treatment. (March 2020)
9. Name two medicines associated with the development of fistulas.
   Any two of the following: axitinib, bevacizumab, nicorandil, pazopanib, tocilizumab. (June 2020)
10. Exposure to which synthetic progesterone may increase the risk of meningioma?
    Cyproterone acetate. (September 2020)