A patient reports a previous severe reaction to penicillin before receiving a newly prescribed antibiotic. What is the nurse’s priority action?

Correct answer: C. Withhold the medication and verify the prescription

  • A. Administer the antibiotic and observe closely
  • B. Record the allergy after giving the medication
  • C. Withhold the medication and verify the prescription
  • D. Give an antihistamine before administering it

Explanation

A reported severe allergy requires withholding the medication and promptly verifying the prescription with the prescriber or pharmacist. Observation or premedication does not make administration of a potentially cross-reactive drug safe.

Submitted by a TestUstad contributor and published by the TestUstad editorial teamLast updated
Report an error

The more specific you are, the faster it gets fixed. A source beats an opinion.

Prefer email? support@testustad.com

About Routes and Safe Medication Administration

Safe medication administration covers oral, sublingual, buccal, topical, inhaled, enteral, intradermal, subcutaneous and intramuscular routes, including their absorption patterns and technique. It also includes medication rights, patient identification, documentation, allergy checks, injection site selection and prevention of errors, with route selection distinguished from dosage calculation.

Practise Routes and Safe Medication Administration

50 free Routes and Safe Medication Administration MCQs from Nursing Pharmacology, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.

Discussion

Stuck on an option, or know a faster way to get there? Ask or explain it here.

No comments yet. Be the first to explain this one.

Exams that ask Nursing Pharmacology questions like this

Nursing Pharmacology is on 8 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.

More Routes and Safe Medication Administration questions