Pharmacology worksheet with answers

Why is low-dose aspirin given to some people with heart disease?

1. ATo slow the heart rate
2. BTo reduce platelet aggregation and prevent clots
3. CTo lower blood cholesterol levels and stabilise plaques
4. DTo relieve chest pain immediately

What does "bacteriostatic" mean?

1. AThe drug kills viruses as well as bacteria
2. BThe drug stops bacteria multiplying without killing them directly
3. CThe drug prevents the patient's immune response
4. DThe drug kills bacteria directly by breaking down their cell wall

Why are corticosteroids such as betamethasone given to a woman at risk of preterm birth?

1. ATo prevent infection in the mother
2. BTo stop contractions completely
3. CTo lower the mother's blood glucose
4. DTo speed up fetal lung maturity

Warfarin works by:

1. ADirectly inhibiting thrombin
2. BBlocking the vitamin K-dependent synthesis of clotting factors
3. CActivating antithrombin
4. DBlocking platelet aggregation through irreversible inhibition of COX-1

Intravenous vancomycin is commonly used to treat infections caused by:

1. APseudomonas aeruginosa
2. BEscherichia coli
3. CCandida albicans
4. DMRSA

Why should NSAIDs be used with caution in some people with asthma?

1. AThey block the anti-inflammatory effect of inhaled corticosteroids
2. BThey increase the clearance of salbutamol
3. CThey cause mucus plugs by drying the airways
4. DThey can trigger bronchospasm in aspirin-sensitive asthma

Which statement correctly contrasts donepezil and memantine in Alzheimer's disease?

1. ADonepezil blocks NMDA receptors; memantine inhibits acetylcholinesterase
2. BBoth drugs remove amyloid plaques from the brain
3. CDonepezil inhibits cholinesterase; memantine blocks NMDA receptors
4. DBoth drugs are dopamine agonists that differ only in their half-lives

Gentamicin is combined with high-dose intravenous furosemide. Which risk is especially increased?

1. ALiver failure
2. BDamage to hearing
3. CHypoglycaemia
4. DBleeding