What are the most common types of side effects from SSRIs?

Diarrhea and weight gain

Dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth

Convulsions and respiratory difficulties

Jaundice and agranulocytosis

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A reason: Diarrhea and weight gain are less common with SSRIs. While some SSRIs may cause gastrointestinal upset via serotonin receptor stimulation in the gut, weight gain is more associated with atypical antipsychotics. SSRIs primarily affect serotonin reuptake, leading to central and anticholinergic-like effects, not these symptoms predominantly.

Choice B reason: SSRIs, by inhibiting serotonin reuptake, cause dizziness, drowsiness, and dry mouth due to central nervous system effects and mild anticholinergic activity. Dizziness and drowsiness result from serotonin modulation in the brainstem, while dry mouth reflects peripheral serotonin effects on salivary glands, making these the most common side effects.

Choice C reason: Convulsions and respiratory difficulties are rare with SSRIs. Seizures may occur in overdose due to excessive serotonin, but not typically at therapeutic doses. Respiratory issues are not associated, as SSRIs primarily affect serotonin pathways, not respiratory centers, making this choice inaccurate for common side effects.

Choice D reason: Jaundice and agranulocytosis are not common SSRI side effects. These are associated with drugs like chlorpromazine, affecting liver or bone marrow. SSRIs primarily cause serotonin-related central and peripheral effects, not hepatotoxicity or bone marrow suppression, making this choice irrelevant to their pharmacological profile.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Responding positively to flattery risks reinforcing manipulative behavior and does not address potential underlying distress. The client’s statement may reflect emotional dysregulation or suicidal ideation, common in psychiatric conditions with serotonin imbalances. This response fails to probe for serious neurobiological risks, missing a critical assessment opportunity.

Choice B reason: Assuming the client wants something is confrontational and dismissive, ignoring potential suicidal ideation or emotional distress. The statement may reflect serotonin-driven mood instability or a cry for help, requiring sensitive exploration. This response risks alienating the client, missing neurobiological cues for underlying psychiatric concerns.

Choice C reason: Asking about suicidal thoughts is appropriate, as the client’s statement may signal ideation, linked to serotonin dysregulation and prefrontal cortex deficits. Such expressions can indicate despair or intent in psychiatric conditions, necessitating direct assessment to ensure safety and address potential neurobiological imbalances driving suicidal behavior.

Choice D reason: Dismissing the statement as insincere ignores potential distress signals, such as suicidal ideation or emotional dysregulation from serotonin imbalances. This response fails to engage the client’s underlying neurobiological state, risking missed opportunities to assess serious psychiatric concerns and provide appropriate intervention or support.

A. If you stop yelling, I will get your dessert B. Don’t you want to finish your meal? C. Let's look at what is on television D. I don't understand what you are saying

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Offering dessert to stop yelling uses bargaining, not distraction, and may reinforce agitation in Alzheimer’s, where cortical and amygdala damage impairs emotional regulation. This approach risks escalating distress by focusing on the behavior, which the client cannot control due to neurocognitive deficits, making it ineffective.

Choice B reason: Asking if the client wants to finish the meal focuses on the agitation’s context, potentially worsening distress in Alzheimer’s due to impaired reasoning from cortical degeneration. This confrontational approach does not redirect attention, failing to leverage preserved procedural memory, which distraction techniques use to calm neurobiological agitation.

Choice C reason: Suggesting to watch television is a distraction technique, redirecting attention from agitation triggers in Alzheimer’s. By engaging preserved sensory and procedural memory, it reduces amygdala-driven emotional distress without confronting cognitive deficits, aligning with neurobiological strategies to manage agitation and promote calm in dementia care.

Choice D reason: Stating misunderstanding focuses on the client’s communication deficits, likely increasing frustration in Alzheimer’s due to hippocampal and cortical damage. This does not distract from agitation triggers and may exacerbate distress, as the client cannot process or correct their behavior, making it an ineffective response compared to redirection.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

What are the most common types of side effects from SSRIs?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A client says to the nurse, "You are the best nurse I've ever met. I want you to remember me." What is an appropriate response by the nurse?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A 68-year-old client who is hospitalized with pneumonia is disoriented and confused 3 days after admission. Which information indicates that the client is experiencing delirium rather than dementia?

Which of the following principles should the nurse apply when planning nursing care for a client who was admitted after a suicide attempt?

A client with advanced Alzheimer's disease keeps searching the unit for her mother who died many years ago. How should the nurse respond?

Which of the following would indicate an increased suicidal risk? (Select all that apply)

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a disturbance of mood and behavior accompanied by at least 5 key features for at least 2 weeks.

When assessing a client with delirium, the nurse will expect to see (Select all that apply)

Bobby is an 8-year-old patient who is to receive Amoxicillin 250 mg every 8 hours. You have 250 mg/5 mL. How many teaspoons will you tell his mother to administer every 8 hours?

The nurse is caring for a client admitted with severe exacerbation of posttraumatic stress disorder that is experiencing flashbacks and hypervigilance. Which is the priority for the nurse to address when caring for this client?