Which medication classification is most often associated with the side effects of gynecomastia, amenorrhea, and galactorrhea?
Anticholinergic medications.
First-generation (conventional) antipsychotics.
Second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics.
Third-generation antipsychotics.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A rationale
Anticholinergic medications primarily block acetylcholine receptors, commonly leading to side effects like dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, and urinary retention. They do not typically cause hyperprolactinemia-related effects such as gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), or galactorrhea (milky discharge).
Choice B rationale
First-generation (conventional) antipsychotics, like haloperidol, exert a potent Dopamine-2 receptor antagonism in the tuberoinfundibular pathway. This blockade lifts the dopaminergic inhibition on prolactin release from the anterior pituitary, resulting in hyperprolactinemia, which is the direct cause of gynecomastia, amenorrhea, and galactorrhea.
Choice C rationale
Second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics also block D2 receptors but often have a broader receptor profile. While some (like risperidone) can cause hyperprolactinemia, others are prolactin-sparing or cause it less frequently or severely than the first-generation agents.
Choice D rationale
Third-generation antipsychotics, such as aripiprazole, are often dopamine system stabilizers (partial agonists). They are less likely to cause significant D2 blockade and often have a lower risk of inducing hyperprolactinemia and the associated endocrine side effects compared to both first- and some second-generation agents.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on current interpersonal relationships and related issues like grief, role disputes, or social deficits. While the client's issue is relational, the core concern about being "too possessive" suggests an underlying, often unconscious, pattern of relating rooted in past experiences, which is better suited to psychodynamic exploration.
Choice B rationale
Psychodynamic therapy is the most suitable approach because it explores how early childhood experiences and unconscious processes (like transference and defense mechanisms) influence current relationship patterns and emotional conflicts. Possessiveness is often viewed as a maladaptive defense against deeper fears of abandonment, making an exploration of these historical roots essential.
Choice C rationale
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is highly effective for modifying distorted thought patterns and specific maladaptive behaviors (e.g., compulsions). While CBT could address the behavior of possessiveness, it might not fully explore the root emotional and developmental basis of the possessive tendency, which is crucial for lasting change in relationship dynamics.
Choice D rationale
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is primarily designed for individuals with severe emotion dysregulation and impulsive behaviors, often associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. While it teaches valuable skills in mindfulness and distress tolerance, it is generally considered overly specialized for the possessiveness issue described without evidence of pervasive instability or severe self-harm.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Rapid, pressured speech, or tachylalia, is a common behavioral manifestation of mania, indicating an accelerated thought process known as a flight of ideas. While it affects communication and social interaction, it is a safety or security need concern (difficulty following rules, potential for anger) or a psychological need, ranking lower than physiological needs in Maslow's Hierarchy.
Choice B rationale
Hyperactive behavior reflects a state of psychomotor agitation and increased energy characteristic of mania, often leading to impulsive or non-goal-directed actions. This is primarily a safety and security need concern due to the risk of accidental injury or harm to self or others, placing it below the fundamental physiological needs in Maslow's hierarchy.
Choice C rationale
Lack of sleep, or insomnia, is a disruption of a fundamental physiological need essential for maintaining homeostasis, physical health, and cognitive function. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, physiological needs (like sleep, food, water, and breathing) must be met first, making this symptom the highest priority for intervention.
Choice D rationale
Grandiose thoughts are an alteration in thought content, reflecting an inflated sense of self-worth, power, or identity common in mania. This symptom relates to the need for self-esteem or self-actualization in Maslow's model, which are higher-level psychological needs, thus having a lower priority than the client's basic physiological needs.
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