NBEO Pharmacology Practice Exam

The side effect of malaise, fever, and weight loss when using oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors is indicative of aplastic anemia. This condition is characterized by the body's failure to produce sufficient blood cells due to the loss of bone marrow function, which can lead to symptoms like fatigue, increased susceptibility to infections (causing fever), and weight loss as the body struggles to maintain normal physiological functions.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, while primarily used for their effects on reducing intraocular pressure in glaucoma and managing other conditions, can lead to hematological side effects, such as aplastic anemia. This makes it essential for patients on these medications to be monitored for signs of such serious adverse effects, including those nonspecific symptoms like malaise and fever, which can arise from the underlying disorder.

The other conditions do not present with the combination of symptoms described. Hyperthyroidism typically leads to symptoms like increased metabolism and weight loss but does not commonly present with malaise and fever. Chronic fatigue syndrome involves long-lasting fatigue that does not improve with rest but lacks the acute presentation of fever and malaise linked to bone marrow failure. Acute kidney injury, while serious, tends to have more specific symptoms related to kidney dysfunction rather than the systemic signs like malaise