American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Practice Test

Which medication is commonly taken to manage acute gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF)?

1. Allopurinol

2. Colchicine

3. Corticosteroids

4. Indomethacin

The correct answer is: Colchicine

Colchicine is the medication commonly used to manage acute gout attacks and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). It works by decreasing inflammation and pain associated with gout flare-ups through its action on the immune response and by inhibiting the migration of white blood cells to the site of inflammation. This medication can be particularly effective in reducing the intensity and duration of acute attacks. While allopurinol is used for long-term management of uric acid levels in chronic gout rather than acute attacks, corticosteroids are often reserved for cases where patients cannot tolerate or do not respond to other treatments. Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that may be used for the treatment of pain and inflammation in gout but does not address the underlying inflammatory process in the same targeted manner as colchicine.