A psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner is employed at an inpatient substance abuse facility. A new patient is a 33-year-old man who recently overdosed on fentanyl and had to be resuscitated with naloxone. Activation of which opioid receptor triggers respiratory depression?
Mu
Kappa
Delta
Omega
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: The mu-opioid receptor is primarily responsible for the analgesic and euphoric effects of opioids, but it also mediates respiratory depression. Fentanyl, a potent mu-opioid receptor agonist, can cause life-threatening respiratory suppression, which is reversed by naloxone, a mu-opioid antagonist.
Choice B reason: The kappa-opioid receptor is involved in analgesia and dysphoria but does not significantly contribute to respiratory depression. Its activation may produce sedation but not the profound respiratory effects seen with mu receptor activation.
Choice C reason: The delta-opioid receptor plays a role in modulating mood and analgesia but is not primarily associated with respiratory depression. Its effects are less potent and less clinically relevant in overdose scenarios.
Choice D reason: Omega is not a recognized opioid receptor subtype. It is not involved in opioid pharmacodynamics and is not relevant to respiratory depression.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens are central components of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which is the primary reward circuit in the brain. Dopamine release in this pathway reinforces behaviors and is heavily involved in addiction and substance use disorders.
Choice B reason: The mesocortical pathway connects the VTA to the prefrontal cortex and is involved in cognition, emotion, and executive function. While it plays a role in psychiatric conditions, it is not the primary reward center.
Choice C reason: The locus coeruleus is involved in arousal and stress responses via norepinephrine, not dopamine. It is not part of the reward system central to substance use disorders.
Choice D reason: The raphe nucleus is the primary source of serotonin in the brain and is involved in mood regulation. It does not mediate dopamine-driven reward processes.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Impaired LES function and TLESRs are associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), not pancreatitis. These mechanisms involve esophageal sphincter relaxation and acid reflux, which are unrelated to pancreatic inflammation.
Choice B reason: Acute pancreatitis involves autodigestion of pancreatic tissue due to premature activation of pancreatic enzymes. This leads to exocrine cell destruction and infiltration by inflammatory cells, resulting in edema, necrosis, and systemic inflammatory response. Alcohol is a major etiologic factor that disrupts acinar cell function and promotes enzyme activation within the pancreas.
Choice C reason: These mechanisms are characteristic of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. They involve mucosal barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation in the colon, not the pancreas.
Choice D reason: This describes multifactorial contributors to diverticular disease and irritable bowel syndrome. While relevant to colonic health, these factors do not explain the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis.
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