Question

ete the midterm exam by day 7 of week 5.
walden university
question 22 1 pts
scenario: a 35-year-old patient is diagnosed with panic disorder and is started on clonazepam.
question: what is the primary reason for choosing clonazepam over other benzodiazepines?
short half-life
immediate onset of action
lower risk of dependence
longer half-life

Explanation:

To determine the primary reason for choosing clonazepam for panic disorder, we analyze each option:

• "Short half - life": Clonazepam has a long half - life, so this is incorrect.
• "Immediate onset of action": While it has a relatively quick onset, this is not the primary reason for choosing it over other benzodiazepines for panic disorder.
• "Lower risk of dependence": Benzodiazepines, including clonazepam, have a risk of dependence, and clonazepam is not known for a lower dependence risk compared to others in its class for this indication.
• "Longer half - life": Clonazepam has a long half - life (around 30 - 40 hours for the parent drug and even longer for its active metabolite). A longer half - life helps in providing more sustained relief from panic symptoms and also results in less fluctuation in drug levels, which is beneficial for a chronic condition like panic disorder. This is the key reason for choosing it over benzodiazepines with shorter half - lives when treating panic disorder.

Answer:

D. Longer half - life