Antiprotozoals & Chemo

Question 1

Risk Factors for Protozoal Agents

Answer 1

• unsanitary, crowded conditions
• poor hygienic practices

Question 2

Causes of protozoal infeections

Answer 2

insect bites:

• malaria
• trypanosomiasis (in rice); sleeping sickness, Chaga’s disease
• leishmaniasis (sand fly)

Question 3

Other causes of protozoal infections cont.

Answer 3

• amebiasis
• giardiasis
• trichomoniasis (like very bad STD)

Question 4

Malaria

-S&S and Tx

Answer 4

S&S

r/t the destruction of RBCs and toxicity to the liver

Treatment

aims at attacking the parasite at the various stages of its development inside and outside the human body

first anti-malaria

Question 5

How does Malaria occur?

Answer 5

mosquito bite injects plasmodium foiparum into blood

they travel to liver

they evolve and gets into RBC

next mosquito comes and spreads

Question 6

Protozoal Parasites as Causes of Malaria

Answer 6

• Plasmodium falciparum: the most dangerous type, causes cancer***, plump mosquitos
• Plasmodium vivax: milder form of the disease, seldom results in death
• Plasmodium malariae: mild symptoms, endemic in tropical countries
• Plasmodium ovale: rarely seen, in the process of being irradiated

Question 7

Antiprotozoals across the lifespan

Answer 7

• Children: more sensitive, more severe drugs
• adults: prophylaxis vs. treatment
• older adults: more susceptible to adverse effects

Question 8

atovaquone (Mepron)

Answer 8

antimalarial

effective in PCP- pneumonia in AIDS

Question 9

other antiprotozoals

atovaquone (Mepron)

Answer 9

antimalarial

effective in PCP- pneumonia in AIDS

Question 10

other antiprotozoals

metronidazole (Flagyl)

Answer 10

for GI

treats amebiasis, trichomoniasis, gardiasis

Question 11

other antiprotozoal:

pentamidine (Pentam 300, NebuPent)

Answer 11

treats PCP, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis

only aerosol antiprotozoal

Question 12

other antiprotozoals:

Tinidazole (Tindamax)

Answer 12

treats trichomoniasis, giardiasis, amebiasis

sexually transmitted disease caused by a parasite. May cause a foul smelling odor in women and no symptoms in men.

Question 13

other antiprotozoals:

benznidazole

Answer 13

Chagas Disease: a vector borne parasitic disease caused by the bit of the triatomine bug

Question 14

Antihelmintics

Answer 14

kills hellminths

hellminths are worm like parasites: flukes, roundworms, and tapeworms.

toxic to parasite and not the host

Question 15

Worms/ helminths

2 types

Answer 15

• Nematodes/ roundworms: pinworms, whipworms, threadworms, Ascaris, and hookworms
• Platyhelminths/ Flatworms: cestodes (tapeworms), flukes (schistosomes)

Question 16

Intestine invading worms

Answer 16

Nematodes:

• pinworms
• whipworms
• threadworms
• Ascaris
• Hookworms

Platyhelminths (flatworms)

Cestodes

Question 17

Tissue-invading worms

Answer 17

Trichinosis (roundworm)

Filariasis: parasite and larvae under skin. Causes fever, headache, skin lesions

Schistosomiasis: infection caused by parasitic flatworm that lives in fresh water in subtropical and tropical regions (rice)

Question 18

antihemintic agents across the lifespan

Answer 18

Children: culture should be done first, most toxic drugs should be avoided in children

Adults: psychological problems because they have a bug in them

Older Adults: more susceptible to GI and CNS effects

Question 19

Managing Pinworm Infections

Answer 19

keep nails short

keep hands clean

frequent hand washing

shower in the A.M.

change and launder undergarments, bed linens, and pajamas daily

disinfect toilet seat daily

wash hands after using restroom

Question 20

Types of Cancer

Answer 20

Solid Tumors

• carcinomas: starts in the cells that make up skin or tissue lining organs such as liver/ kidneys
• sarcomas: rare that grows in tissues like nerves, bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage and blood vessels. Cause abd. pain, lump, bone pain, weight loss

Hematological Malignancies

Question 21

Cancer:

Anaplasia

Autonomy

Answer 21

anaplasia- cancerous cells lose cellular differentiation and organization; unable to function normally

autonomy- cancerous cells grow without the usual homeostatic restrictions that regulate cell growth. This allows cells to form a tumor

Question 22

Mestastasis

Answer 22

to brain or bone= bad news

Question 23

Chemotherapy Drugs

Answer 23

doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Rubex)

cisplatin (Platinol- AQ)

Question 24

Chemotherapeutic Drugs

Answer 24

• alter cellular function or disrupting cellular integrity, causing cell death.
• prevent cellular reproduction, eventually leading to cell death

(common theme with chemo. therapy drugs)

Question 25

Chemotherapeutic Drugs goals

Answer 25

• to destroy organisms that invade the body: bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa, fungi
• to destroy abnormal cells within the body: neoplasms or cancers

Question 26

Goal of Cancer Treatment

Answer 26

• surgery to remove them
• stimulation of the immune system to destroy them
• Radiation therapy to destroy them
• Drug therapy to kill them during various phases of the cell cycle

Question 27

Neutropenic Precautions

Answer 27

Wash hands or use alcohol-based hand rub when entering or leaving patient’s room.

Question 28

Cisplastin

Answer 28

special because:

nephrotoxic

strict I&Os: peeing what they are drinking

report decrease in urine output

>1.3 is bad for creatinine

Question 29

Nursing Considerations for cisplatin

Answer 29

• antiemetics prophylactically
• saline rinse before and after meals: may sooth mucositis pain
• increase fluid intake for the next 3 days
• tech patient how to manage fatigue
• check hydration: BP, turgor, urine output

Question 30

Other chemo drugs

Answer 30

cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan): same as the others

vincristine (Oncovin): different

Question 31

vincristine (Oncovin)

Answer 31

chemo. drug that does not cause bone marrow suppression

not as general as others