Chloroquine exhibits action?

Appeared in: JODHPUR AIIMS SNO-2018

Explanation

Chloroquine is a 4-aminoquinoline derivative primarily used as an antimalarial agent for both treatment and prophylaxis.
It is highly effective against the erythrocytic (blood) stage of the Plasmodium parasite, which is the stage responsible for the clinical symptoms of malaria.
Its mechanism of action involves accumulating in the parasite's food vacuole and preventing the polymerization of toxic heme into non-toxic hemozoin, leading to parasite death.
It is considered the drug of choice for treating malaria caused by susceptible strains of P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. falciparum.

Option A: Chloroquine does not have significant activity against fungi and is not used to treat fungal infections.
Option B: While Chloroquine can be used as a second-line agent for amoebic liver abscesses because it concentrates in the liver, it is not the primary drug for amebiasis.
Option D: Chloroquine is not an antiviral drug. Although it was investigated for some viral infections, it has not been proven effective and is not recommended for this purpose.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pharmacological classification and primary action of Chloroquine as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must know the primary indication for a drug to ensure correct administration and patient education. Misclassifying Chloroquine could lead to ineffective treatment for non-malarial infections.
Monitoring for adverse effects is crucial. With long-term Chloroquine use (e.g., for autoimmune diseases), nurses should be vigilant for signs of irreversible retinopathy and advise regular ophthalmologic exams.
What if? If a patient has chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria, Chloroquine would be ineffective. An alternative regimen, such as an artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), would be required.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question from pharmacology.
First, identify the drug mentioned in the stem: Chloroquine.
Recall the primary drug class and therapeutic use of Chloroquine from your studies.
Evaluate the given options. 'Antimalarial' is the most accurate and primary classification for Chloroquine.
Eliminate the other options by recalling the prototype drugs for those classes (e.g., Metronidazole for antiamoebic, Fluconazole for antifungal, Oseltamivir for antiviral).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Pharmacological classification and primary action of Chloroquine.
Stem keywords: Chloroquine, action
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Pharmacology Nurses Shanbhag 3e p. 331-333

E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 3 p. 47-49

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.