Chap 16 Flashcards
Pharmacology
the study of drugs, their sources, their characteristics, and their effect
EMTs are allowed to administer what drugs?
Aspirin, oral glucose, oxygen, and activated charcoal
Aspirin
- chest pain of a suspected cardiac origin
- aspirin reduces the blood’s ability to clot and works to prevent the clot formation that causes damage to the heart
- chewable children’s aspirin
Oral glucose
Glucose is a kind of sugar
- Taken by mouth of a conscious patient (who is able to swallow) with an altered mental status and a history of diabetes
- comes in a tube of gel
- Applied to a tongue depressor and placed between the patients cheek and gum or under the tongue
- low blood sugar effects the brain and causes the altered mental status
Oxygen
Used to treat patients with hypoxia or danger of hypoxia
Activated charcoal
- Powder form that’s prepared from charred wood, usually premixed with water to form a slurry for use in the field
- Used to treat poisoning or overdose when a substance is swallowed and is in the patients digestive tract
- Charcoal binds itself to the poison and helps prevent them from being absorbed by the bod
Drugs EMT’s may assist patient with
Bronchodilators
Nitroglycerin
Epinephrine
Epinephrine
-Constricts the blood vessels and relax airway passages
-Used for highly allergic reactions
Different auto-injectors
-Epi-pen
- Auvi-Q- has voice commands
-Twinject- has 2 doses of epinephrine
Atomizer
a device attached to the end of a syringe that atomize medication (turns into very fine droplets)
Naloxone
-Brand Narcan
- reserves effects of narcotics but for very short periods
- atomized into the nose
- Coats the opiod receptor
Force protection medicines
atropine in auto-injectors
-used to treat responders in the event of a chemical attack
3 types of names every drug has
- Generic name, Ex. Epinephrine
- Trade (Brand) name, Ex. Epi-pen
- Chemical name Ex. B-(3,4 dihydroxyphenyl)
Indication
specific signs, symptoms, or circumstances under which it is appropriate to administer the drug to a patient
Contraindications
specific signs, symptoms, or circumstances under which it is not appropriate and may be harmful to administer the drug to a patient
Ex. nitroglycerin shouldn’t be given to a patient that has low blood pressure due to nitroglycerin dilating blood vessels and will drop their blood pressure too low. Also shouldn’t be given to patients that recently taken Viagra because of possible serious negative interactions
side effects
action of a drug other than the desired action
Ex. Nitroglycerin relieves chest pain but lowers blood pressure at the same time
untoward effects
Effects that are not only unexpected but also potentially harmful
Ex. nausea, vomiting,
Different forms of medications
- Compressed powders or tablets
- Liquids for use outside the digestive tract such as in an injection. This route is called parenteral and refers to bypassing the digestive system
- liquids taken orally. known as the enteral route that uses the digestive tract
- Liquids that vaporize such as a fixed-dose nebulizer
- Gels
- Suspension such as the thick slurry of activated charcoal in water
- Fine powder for inhalation
- Gases for inhalation
- Sublingual sprays (under the tongue), such as nitro
2 ways that authorizes administration of medications
- Off-line medical direction
2. Online medical direction
The 5 rights
- Right patient
- Right medication
- Right dose
- Right route
5 Right time
Routes of administration
- Oral or swallowed
- Sublingual
- Inhaled or breathed in
- Intranasal or sprayed into nostrils
- Intravenous
- Intramuscular
- Subcutaneous
- Intraosseous
- Endotracheal
Pharmacodynamics
the study of the effects of medication on the body
Age and weight considerations
- smaller, lighter, pediatric patients require less
- geriatric patient will have hard time eliminating medications and therefore feel the effects longer
Reassessment and documentation
Reassess patient after administrating and clearly document the medications you have administered using the 5 R’s
Other medications often taken
Dilantin- control seizures
Codeine- for pain
Inderal- for a heart rhythm disorder
Advair- Asthma
2 types of IV therapy
Traditional IV bag
heparin or saline lock
Traditional IV bag
- Drip bag
- Micro drip or Macro drip. Bigger the number, smaller the flow
- Flow regulator
- Drug or needle port
Saline lock or Heparin
catheter placed in vein with small cap or lock protruding out of skin that contains a port for medication or access for saline
KVO rate
“Keep vein open” KVO rate varies about 30 drops a minute for a micro drip and 10 drops per minute for a macro drip
-insufficient flow can cause blood to clot in catheter
Runaway IV
Flow rate too fast and can rapidly overload the patient with fluids and cause serious problems especially in an infant or child
Infiltrated vein
punctured vein and exited the other side or has pulled out of the vein
Danger of High concentrated dose in IV
Cause the death of the surrounding tissue (such as 50 percent dextrose)
Bronchodilator inhalers
- Patients that have difficulty breathing such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis
- designed to enlarge constricted bronchial tubes
- Examples- Albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil, Volmax), and Levalbuterol (Xopenex)
Side effects- Effects heart, increased heart rate and jitteriness
Nitroglycerin
- Patients with recurrent chest pain or a history of heart attack
- Pill or spray form
- Dilates coronary vessels
- Call nitro or trade name of Nitrostat
- Usually instructed to take up to 3 pills for chest pain
- Contraindications- Recently taken ED meds like Sildenafil (Viagra), Vardenafil (Levitra), tadalafil (Cialis)
