The nurse providing care to a patient of carcinoma bladder explains rightly that myositis is a side effect of… - GMCH Nursing Officer-2025

GMCH Nursing Officer-2025

Pharmacology

Easy

Appeared in: GMCH Nursing Officer-2025

Explanation

Antineoplastic agents are drugs used to treat cancer, such as carcinoma of the bladder.
A specific class of these drugs, known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, can cause the body's immune system to attack healthy tissues as an adverse effect.
When the immune system attacks muscle tissue, it results in inflammation known as myositis.
Symptoms of myositis include muscle pain, weakness, and elevated levels of muscle enzymes like creatine kinase (CK).

Option B: Anxiolytics primarily act on the central nervous system to reduce anxiety. Their side effects are typically sedation, dizziness, and cognitive impairment, not muscle inflammation.
Option C: Antidepressants are used to treat mood disorders. Their common side effects include nausea, weight changes, and sexual dysfunction. Myositis is not a recognized side effect.
Option D: Narcotic analgesics (opioids) are powerful pain relievers. Their most significant side effects are respiratory depression, constipation, sedation, and dependence.

Visual 1: Diagram: Mechanism of Immune-Related Myositis - An infographic showing how an immune checkpoint inhibitor blocks the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, leading to T-cell activation against both cancer cells and healthy muscle cells, resulting in inflammation.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Adverse effects of antineoplastic agents to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a crucial role in monitoring for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) like myositis in patients receiving immunotherapy.
Patient education is vital. Nurses must instruct patients to immediately report any new muscle pain, weakness, or dark urine, as these can be signs of myositis or rhabdomyolysis.
Early detection and reporting of myositis can prevent severe complications. The nurse's assessment of muscle strength and pain is a key part of patient monitoring.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'myositis' (muscle inflammation) and 'carcinoma bladder'.
Consider the drug classes provided in the options and recall their primary uses and major side effect profiles.
Antineoplastic agents are a broad category with many serious side effects, including effects on the immune system. Modern treatments for bladder cancer include immunotherapies.
Anxiolytics, antidepressants, and narcotic analgesics primarily affect the central nervous system. Their side effects (sedation, dependence, constipation) are distinct from muscle inflammation.
Connect the specific side effect, myositis, to the drug class known for causing immune-mediated reactions. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of antineoplastic drug, are well-documented to cause myositis.
Therefore, select 'Antineoplastic agents' as the most plausible cause.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Adverse effects of antineoplastic agents
Stem keywords: carcinoma bladder, myositis, side effect
Lead-in keywords: explains rightly
Clinical cues: The patient has carcinoma of the bladder, a condition often treated with immunotherapy (a type of antineoplastic agent), which is linked to myositis.

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