Colds 7.6 Flashcards
How to decide what to use
- Aim for most bothersome symptoms
- Nasal congestion and cough usually
What can the patient expect when they start taking cold medicine
- With analgesics and decongestants will feel better the rest unsure
How long will they take medicine
- 3-4 days up to 7 for decongestants
- Coughs can last for longer
Benefit of extra strength products
- Some of the ingredients may be subtherapeutic
What is the difference between daytime/ nighttime configurations
- Daytime is the same as nighttime but night time has a first gen antihistamine for sedation effect
What to do with cough and cold medication (Saline/suction, honey, topical decongestants, dosing off label
- Increase use of saline/ suction
- Decrease expectations (not that good as they will still have congestion
2. Use of honey for coughs - Not increasing therapeutic control and just a marketing thing
- Low expectations but okay to use
3. Increase use in topical decongestants
- Low expectations but okay to use
- Not near a kids dose only 12 and up, not an increase use (100-1 oral to topical)
- Don’t giving a kid an adult topical now but with experience there is much less adverse effects
- Decrease expectations (not that good as they will still have congestion
Pregnancy and cough medicine
- Avoid produce use in 1st trimester
- If used
Product selection same process
Decongestants (topical safer then oral)
Analgesics appear safe (check with physician) - DM use over codeine
- Antihistamines are safe but not needed for common cold
- Guaifenesin appears safe
- Pregnancy rhinitis can occur
- If used
Diabetics (sick day management, caloric intake, blood glucose)
i) Sick day management is key for type 1 diabetics
- More worried about T1 as they don’t make insulin, on a sick day glucose is being produced and blood sugar levels increase, throwing on a drug is like adding a stick on. More worried about the cold itself
ii) Caloric and alcohol content of cough/ cold medicines get lots of attention but not big concerns
iii) Impact on blood glucose
- The cold itself is the biggest influence
- Oral decongestants have a small impact
- Topical decongestants/ antihistamines/ antitussives/ expectorants not an impact on bg
Hypertensives and cough/cold medicine
- Oral decongestants
- Can affect bp: Blood vessels get tighter so bp goes up a tiny bit, but legal aspects
- A key question to ask is have you used one before
2. Legal aspects - How to word a recommendation (if giving a product)
- Id rather not recommend one but if you want to I will help you pick one if you have used a decongestant before