Bowel Med Quiz: Can You Restore Regularity?

1. Lactulose is used to treat constipation because it ____.

Stimulates the colon directly

Softens stool by adding moisture

Is metabolized to organic acids that increase water in the bowel

Decreases intestinal transit time

2. A patient asks if they can take a laxative daily for ongoing constipation. The nurse should explain that ____.

Daily use is safe indefinitely

Lifestyle changes should be tried first; daily stimulant use risks dependence

Bulk-forming laxatives are always preferred

Antidiarrheals are better for daily use

3. Sorbitol-containing medications can cause diarrhea because sorbitol is ____.

A stimulant laxative

An osmotic agent that draws water into the bowel

A toxic substance

An antibiotic

4. The most common adverse effect of enteral nutrition is diarrhea. Which antidiarrheal approach is preferred?

Immediately start loperamide

Slow the infusion rate and assess for infection first

Stop feeding

Add bismuth subsalicylate

5. Stool softeners like docusate work best when combined with ____.

High-fat foods

Adequate hydration and fiber

Stimulant laxatives only

Bed rest

6. A patient taking antibiotics develops acute diarrhea. Before recommending an antidiarrheal, the nurse should ____.

Immediately give loperamide

Rule out Clostridioides difficile infection

Increase fluid intake only

Switch antibiotics

7. Which medication is safest for a patient with renal impairment who needs a laxative?

Magnesium sulfate

Sodium phosphate

Psyllium husk

Castor oil

8. Chronic use of stimulant laxatives may lead to ____.

Improved bowel function

Laxative dependence and loss of normal bowel tone

Increased fiber in stool

Permanent cure of constipation

9. A patient reports black or tarry stools after taking bismuth subsalicylate. The nurse should ____.

Report this as a sign of GI bleeding

Explain this is an expected harmless side effect

Discontinue the medication immediately

Increase the dose

10. Which side effect is most common with osmotic laxatives like magnesium citrate?

Abdominal cramping

Bloating and gas

Nausea

Hyperkalemia

11. Which laxative class works by increasing stool bulk and water content?

Osmotic laxatives

Stimulant laxatives

Bulk-forming laxatives

Stool softeners

12. When counseling a patient about fiber supplements, the nurse should emphasize ____.

Taking them without water

Increasing fluid intake gradually

Expecting results within 24 hours

Using them indefinitely without dietary changes

13. A patient on chronic opioid therapy is at high risk for constipation. Which laxative is most appropriate as first-line prevention?

Senna alone

Bulk-forming laxative with adequate fluids

Loperamide

Bismuth subsalicylate

14. Which statement about polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions is correct?

They are absorbed and cause electrolyte imbalance

They work osmotically and are used for bowel prep

They slow intestinal motility

They are stimulant laxatives

15. Bismuth subsalicylate is contraindicated in patients allergic to ____.

Penicillin

Aspirin

Acetaminophen

Ibuprofen

16. A patient with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) asks about using loperamide for diarrhea. What is the primary nursing concern?

It causes dehydration

It increases risk of toxic megacolon

It reduces nutrient absorption

It causes abdominal distension

17. Which antidiarrheal agent acts by decreasing intestinal motility and secretions?

Bismuth subsalicylate

Loperamide

Psyllium

Lactulose

18. Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) works by drawing water into the intestinal lumen. What is this mechanism called?

Irritant action

Osmotic effect

Emollient action

Lubricant coating

19. A patient reports abdominal cramping and urgent bowel movements after taking senna. This is expected because senna is a ____ laxative.

Bulk-forming

Osmotic

Stimulant

Lubricant

20. Docusate sodium is classified as which type of laxative?