Test Your Knowledge on Glycopeptide Antibiotics! How well do you know vancomycin and other glycopeptides? This quick NCLEX-style quiz covers key nursing concepts like identifying glycopeptides, safe IV administration, infusion reactions, and monitoring trough levels.
Perfect for nursing students and professionals, each question includes clear rationales to boost your pharmacology skills.
More nursing pharmacology reviews and glycopeptide nursing notes.
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Glycopeptides (Vancomycin) Antibiotics Nursing Pharmacology Quiz Questions
Glycopeptides Antibiotics Class Nursing Quiz
- Which medications below are NOT classified as glycopeptide antibiotics? Select all that apply:
A. Azithromycin
B. Tobramycin
C. Vancomycin
D. Gentamicin
The answer is A, B, and D: Azithromycin, Tobramycin, and Gentamicin. Azithromycin is a macrolide, while tobramycin and gentamicin are aminoglycosides. None of these are glycopeptides. Vancomycin, however, is a glycopeptide antibiotic.
- Which statement is incorrect about glycopeptide antibiotics?
A. “Intravenous vancomycin is used to treat a C. difficile infection.”
B. “Glycopeptides target mainly gram-positive bacteria.”
C. “This antibiotic class works by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis.”
D. “MRSA can be treated with this class of antibiotics.”
The answer is A: “Intravenous vancomycin is used to treat a C. difficile infection.” This is false because IV vancomycin doesn’t reach the GI tract effectively. Oral vancomycin is used for C. difficile.
- The patient is ordered to receive intravenous vancomycin. What important step below will the nurse prioritize to prevent a vancomycin infusion reaction?
A. Assess for tinnitus
B. Administer slowly over >60 minutes
C. Monitor peak level
D. Administer intravenous push over 10 minutes
The correct answer is B: Administer slowly over >60 minutes. This prevents a vancomycin infusion reaction, a histamine-mediated response that can cause flushing, rash, and low blood pressure if the drug is given too quickly. The other options are important but not specific to preventing this reaction: A (tinnitus) relates to ototoxicity, C (peak level) ensures proper dosing, and D (IV push) is incorrect because vancomycin should never be given rapidly.
- During the administration of IV vancomycin, which assessment finding would require the nurse to stop the infusion?
A. Temperature 100.1 °F
B. Nausea
C. Flushing
D. Blood pressure 106/80 mmHg
The answer is C: Flushing. Flushing during IV vancomycin may signal a vancomycin infusion reaction, caused by rapid infusion and accompanied by rash, itching, or low blood pressure. The nurse should stop the infusion immediately, assess the patient, and notify the provider. A mild fever, nausea, or normal blood pressure do not require stopping the infusion.
- The nurse is about to administer the 4th dose of vancomycin. Which nursing action below takes priority?
A. Assess urinary output
B. Measure vital signs
C. Draw trough level before administering the medication
D. Draw a peak level 1 hour after administering the medication
The correct answer is C: Draw trough level before administering the medication. Checking the trough before the 4th dose ensures vancomycin levels are safe and effective. Although monitoring urine output and vital signs is important, measuring the trough is the priority to prevent toxicity.
- Which route would the nurse expect to administer vancomycin to a patient with a C. difficile infection?
A. Orally
B. Intravenously
C. Intramuscularly
D. Subcutaneously
The answer is A: Orally. Vancomycin given orally stays in the gut to target C. difficile infection directly. Intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous routes do not deliver the drug effectively to the intestines and are not used for treating C. difficile.
- A patient on vancomycin had a trough level drawn, and the result is 15 mcg/mL. The nurse knows this result means which of the following?
A. It’s subtherapeutic, and the healthcare provider should be notified
B. It’s therapeutic, and the next dose should be administered as ordered
C. It’s toxic, and the next dose should be held and the healthcare provider notified
The answer is B: It’s therapeutic, and the next dose should be administered as ordered. A vancomycin trough level of 15 mcg/mL falls within the typical therapeutic range (usually 10–20 mcg/mL depending on the infection), so the medication can be given as scheduled. Levels below 10 mcg/mL are generally subtherapeutic, and levels above 20 mcg/mL may indicate toxicity.
- Which patient’s vancomycin order should the nurse question and seek clarification for? Select all that apply.
A. A patient admitted with viral pneumonia
B. A patient with a documented penicillin allergy
C. A patient currently receiving hemodialysis
D. A patient diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis
The answers are A and C. The nurse should question the vancomycin order for the patient with viral pneumonia since it doesn’t treat viral infections. The order for the patient on hemodialysis also needs clarification because dosing must be adjusted for kidney function. Orders for patients with a penicillin allergy and bacterial endocarditis are appropriate and don’t require questioning.
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