Question

"A 79-year-old man presents to your office with his wife. He currently appears dull and blunted. She lists significant medical history such as chronic renal failure, mild cirrhosis, arrhythmias, and a recent diagnosis of moderately severe Alzheimer's disease by their family physician. Which of the following medications for Alzheimer's disease would it be most important to discontinue if you learned the man was taking it?

a. Donepezil
b. Rivastigmine
c. Memantine
d. Galantamine"

Answer 1

If the 79-year-old man is taking a medication for Alzheimer's disease, it would be most important to discontinue Donepezil (A).

Step-by-step explanation:

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but treatments aim to manage the symptoms. Different medications are used for Alzheimer's disease, including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. In the case of the 79-year-old man with significant medical history, if he is taking a medication for Alzheimer's disease, it would be most important to discontinue Donepezil (A). Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor, and patients with chronic renal failure and mild cirrhosis may have compromised metabolism and elimination of drugs, increasing the risk of adverse effects.