Exam 84: Drugs That Weaken the Bacterial Cell Wall I: Penicillins

A patient with an infection caused by P. aeruginosa is being treated with piperacillin. The nurse providing care reviews the patient's laboratory reports and notes that the patient's blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels are elevated. The nurse will contact the provider to discuss:

The parent of an infant with otitis media asks the nurse why the prescriber has ordered amoxicillin [Amoxil] and not ampicillin [Unasyn]. What will the nurse tell the parent?

A nursing student wants to know the differences between hospital-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (HA-MRSA) and community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA). Which statements about CA-MRSA are true?

A patient with no known drug allergies is receiving amoxicillin [Amoxil] PO twice daily. Twenty minutes after being given a dose, the patient complains of shortness of breath. The patient's blood pressure is 100/58 mm Hg. What will the nurse do?

A patient is about to receive penicillin G for an infection that is highly sensitive to this drug. While obtaining the patient's medication history, the nurse learns that the patient experienced a rash when given amoxicillin [Amoxil] as a child 20 years earlier. What will the nurse do?

A nurse assisting a nursing student with medications asks the student to describe how penicillins (PCNs) work to treat bacterial infections. The student is correct in responding that penicillins:

A nurse is preparing to administer intramuscular penicillin to a patient who is infected with Treponema pallidum and notes that the order is for sodium penicillin G. Which action is correct?

A nurse is discussing methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with a group of nursing students. Which statement by a student correctly identifies the basis for MRSA resistance?

A child with otitis media has had three ear infections in the past year. The child has just completed a 10-day course of amoxicillin [Amoxil] with no improvement. The parent asks the nurse why this drug is not working, because it has worked in the past. What will the nurse tell the patient?

A patient is receiving intravenous potassium penicillin G, 2 million units to be administered over 1 hour. At 1900, the nurse notes that the dose hung at 1830 has infused completely. What will the nurse do?

A nurse transcribes a new prescription for potassium penicillin G given intravenously (IV) every 8 hours and gentamicin given IV every 12 hours. Which is the best schedule for administering these drugs?

A patient has an infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. The prescriber has ordered dicloxacillin PO. What will the nurse do?

Which organisms can be treated with penicillin G (Benzylpenicillin)?

A patient has an infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The prescriber has ordered piperacillin and amikacin, both to be given intravenously. What will the nurse do?

A child with an ear infection is not responding to treatment with amoxicillin [Amoxil]. The nurse will expect the provider to order: