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Practice Question

A patient who has been taking opioids for several weeks tells the nurse, "The medication doesnt seem to work as well anymore." The nurse recognizes this as a sign off.

Answer Choices:

Correct Answer:

Tolerance

Rationale:

💊Diminished effect after weeks of opioid use reflects pharmacologic tolerance, where the same dose produces a reduced analgesic response.

🧩Tolerance is distinct from addiction, which involves maladaptive behaviors, and from withdrawal, which reflects physiologic dependence after cessation.

🩺Recognizing tolerance guides dose reassessment or adjuvant therapy to restore pain control safely.

⚖️Differentiating tolerance from allergy prevents unnecessary discontinuation and supports appropriate clinical management.


📌Core Message

When opioid efficacy wanes over time, the most consistent explanation is tolerance, a predictable pharmacologic adaptation requiring thoughtful analgesic adjustment.

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This question is from ATI RN Pharmacology 2024 Exam-2 which contains 49 questions.

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From Exam
ATI RN Pharmacology 2024 Exam-2

49 Questions

View Full Exam
Question Details
  • Category: RN Nursing Exams
  • Subcategory: ATI Exams (RN)
  • Domain: PHARMACOLOGY (RN ati)
  • Answer Choices: 4
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