KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
Which of the following is used in drug dependence to prevent relapse?
Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Explanation
- Naltrexone is a competitive opioid antagonist specifically approved for preventing relapse in detoxified individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder.
- It works by blocking the opioid receptors, which prevents the euphoric effects ('high') if the person uses opioids or alcohol, thereby reducing the incentive to use.
- It has a long half-life and is available in both a daily oral form (Revia) and a once-a-month injectable form (Vivitrol), making it suitable for long-term maintenance therapy.
- Unlike naloxone, which is for emergency overdose reversal, naltrexone's pharmacological profile is designed for sustained relapse prevention.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Naloxone is a very short-acting opioid antagonist. Its rapid onset and short duration (30-90 minutes) make it ideal for reversing an acute opioid overdose but unsuitable for long-term relapse prevention, as it would require frequent, impractical dosing.
- Option C: Neuroleptics, also known as antipsychotics, are used to manage symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions. They do not act on opioid receptors and have no primary role in preventing relapse in substance dependence.
- Option D: Nomifensine is an old antidepressant medication that was withdrawn from the market in many countries due to its risk of serious side effects, including hemolytic anemia. It is not used for any clinical purpose today, especially not for addiction.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Pharmacological management of substance dependence for relapse prevention helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- A critical nursing responsibility is educating the patient that they must be completely opioid-free before starting naltrexone. Failure to do so will trigger a severe, painful, and dangerous precipitated withdrawal syndrome.
- Nurses must monitor liver function tests (LFTs) before and during naltrexone therapy, as it carries a risk of hepatotoxicity, especially in patients with pre-existing liver disease.
- Patient education should also include the fact that naltrexone will block the effects of opioid-based pain medications, which is a crucial consideration for future pain management. Patients should be advised to carry a medical alert card.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the key goal in the question stem: 'prevent relapse' in 'drug dependence'. This points to a long-term maintenance medication, not an emergency treatment.
- Next, analyze the options based on their drug class and primary indication.
- Recall or look up that Naloxone is a short-acting antagonist for overdose reversal.
- Recall or look up that Naltrexone is a long-acting antagonist used for relapse prevention.
- Recognize that 'Neuroleptic' is a term for antipsychotics, which are used for psychosis, not addiction relapse.
- Eliminate Nomifensine as it is an obsolete drug.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Pharmacological management of substance dependence for relapse prevention.
- Stem keywords: drug dependence, prevent relapse
- Lead-in keywords: Which
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QSX6mn69T1oIk0QaOrMVAV
Reference Book
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 2173-2175
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 10898-10900, 10930-10932
Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
More Substance Use Disorders Questions
- A patient came to emergency with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What symptoms will you observe?
- A 26-year-old client is in a treatment center for alprazolam (Xanax) abuse and continues to manifest moderate levels of anxiety 3 weeks into the reha…
- An individual who is addicted to heroin is likely to experience which of the following symptoms of withdrawal?
- Which of the following is a long-term effect of Medical complication of Alcoholism?
- An alcoholic patient stops alcohol consumption before 24 hours. He faced tremors, agitation, and confusion. What is the diagnosis?
- What is the reason to perform a naloxone challenge test on a client with opioid abuse?
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are as follows, EXCEPT
- Korsakoff's psychosis is due to intake of?
- After how long do withdrawal symptoms appear after stopping Cannabis?
- What are the withdrawal symptoms of Cannabis?
More KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018 Questions
- Which Article of Indian Constitution abolishes untouchability?
- The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution were related with. $\qquad$ $?$
- Name the program launched by the Department of Women and Child Development, MHRD in 1988 to boost up women's health, education and political particip…
- Which social reformer of Kerala authored a book titled "Pracheena Malayalam"?
- "Awake, remember the Lord Almighty, Get up at once and fight injustice". Which social reform organization of 20th century Kerala put forth the above…
- ....................is considered as the "father of political movements in modern Thiruvithamkur"?
- Who among the following women social reformer and activist of 20th century Kerala actively participated in the Paliyam Satyagraha of 1947?
- Which compound is known as inorganic benzene?
- The designation of an orbital with $\mathbf{n}=4$ and $\mathbf{l}=2$ is?
- The element with highest electronegativity is?