CEA Nursing Practice Exam

In a patient with Crohn's disease experiencing a flare, what medication decision is most appropriate?

1. Initiate prednisone and maintain dosing of natalizumab

2. Stop natalizumab as it is not safe during flares

3. Add adalimumab to her natalizumab

4. No change is needed, continue on current dosing of natalizumab

The correct answer is: Initiate prednisone and maintain dosing of natalizumab

In the context of a patient with Crohn's disease experiencing a flare, initiating prednisone is a common and effective approach, as corticosteroids like prednisone can provide rapid anti-inflammatory effects to help control symptoms during an exacerbation. Prednisone is often used to manage acute flares in inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease, due to its ability to suppress the immune response and reduce inflammation. Maintaining dosing of natalizumab while starting prednisone is also appropriate because natalizumab is an immunomodulator that is generally well tolerated and can remain part of the treatment regimen even during a flare. It is typically used for long-term control of Crohn's disease and does not need to be interrupted simply due to an acute exacerbation. By using prednisone to manage the acute flare while continuing natalizumab, the patient can experience symptomatic relief while the long-term treatment remains in place, potentially reducing the risk of future flares.