Question 1

A patient who was in a motor vehicle accident has been treated for lower back muscle spasms with metaxalone (Skelaxin)for 1 week and reports decreased but persistent pain.A computed tomography scan is normal.The primary care NP should:

Accepted Answer

A)   suggest ice and rest.
B)   order physical therapy.
C)   prescribe diazepam (Valium) .
D)   add an opioid analgesic medication. B

Question 2

A 70-year-old patient has low back pain and will begin taking metaxalone (Skelaxin).The primary care NP should counsel this patient to:

Accepted Answer

A)   drink extra fluids.
B)   avoid taking NSAIDs.
C)   get up from a chair slowly.
D)   take care to avoid slips and falls. D

Question 3

A patient comes to the clinic complaining of low back pain unrelieved by NSAIDs.The patient has a history of angle-closure glaucoma and renal disease.The primary care NP should prescribe:

Accepted Answer

A)   tizanidine (Zanaflex) .
B)   metaxalone (Skelaxin) .
C)   acetaminophen (Tylenol) .
D)   cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) . B

Question 4

The primary care nurse practitioner (NP)is seeing a patient who reports chronic lower back pain.The patient reports having difficulty sleeping despite taking ibuprofen at bedtime each night.The NP should prescribe:

Accepted Answer

A)   diazepam (Valium) .
B)   metaxalone (Skelaxin) .
C)   methocarbamol (Robaxin) .
D)   cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) .

Question 5

A patient has acute low back pain caused by lifting a heavy object.The patient reports having one or two drinks with meals each day.The primary care NP should prescribe:

Accepted Answer

A)   an NSAID.
B)   diazepam (Valium) .
C)   metaxalone (Skelaxin) .
D)   acetaminophen (Tylenol) .

Question 6

A patient reports having an acute onset of low back pain associated with lifting a heavy object the day before.Besides advising the patient to rest and apply ice,the primary care NP should prescribe:

Accepted Answer

A)   an opioid analgesic.
B)   metaxalone (Skelaxin) 
C)   cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) .
D)   a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAI
D)  .

Question 7

A patient with lower back pain and right-sided sciatica has taken an NSAID and a TCA for 1 week.The patient reports some decrease in pain but is experiencing increased tingling and numbness of the right leg.The primary care NP should:

Accepted Answer

A)   order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)  study.
B)   order physical therapy.
C)   refer the patient to a neurologist.
D)   continue the TCA for 1 more week.

Exam 40: Muscle Relaxants

A patient who was in a motor vehicle accident has been treated for lower back muscle spasms with metaxalone (Skelaxin) for 1 week and reports decreased but persistent pain.A computed tomography scan is normal.The primary care NP should:

A 70-year-old patient has low back pain and will begin taking metaxalone (Skelaxin) .The primary care NP should counsel this patient to:

A patient comes to the clinic complaining of low back pain unrelieved by NSAIDs.The patient has a history of angle-closure glaucoma and renal disease.The primary care NP should prescribe:

The primary care nurse practitioner (NP) is seeing a patient who reports chronic lower back pain.The patient reports having difficulty sleeping despite taking ibuprofen at bedtime each night.The NP should prescribe:

A patient has acute low back pain caused by lifting a heavy object.The patient reports having one or two drinks with meals each day.The primary care NP should prescribe:

A patient reports having an acute onset of low back pain associated with lifting a heavy object the day before.Besides advising the patient to rest and apply ice,the primary care NP should prescribe:

A patient with lower back pain and right-sided sciatica has taken an NSAID and a TCA for 1 week.The patient reports some decrease in pain but is experiencing increased tingling and numbness of the right leg.The primary care NP should: