colds cough hayfever Flashcards
flu is likely during the winter months - which months?
October to May
Patient has had sudden onset of fever >38C and has a runny nose and headache. Cold or flu?
Flu - sudden onset of symptoms.
Decongestants are not suitable for people with the following conditions (5)
heart disease
high BP
diabetes
hyperthyroidism
prostatic enlargement
Topical decongestants e.g. xylometazoline, oxymetazoline, ephedrine can only be used for ….
max 7 days because continued use can cause rebound congestion
true or false you can buy ipratropium (SAMA) OTC
true
OTC nasal spray for relief of cold symptoms that contains both xylometazoline (topical decongestant, max 7 days) and ipratropium bromide (which acts to reduce nasal secretions)
pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are degonestants that are found in OTC products for coughs, cold and flu. they can be used in the manufacture of this …
illegal class A CD called methamphetamine, aka crystal meth
restrictions to pseudoephedrine OTC
pack size limited to 720mg (e.g. 12x60mg tabs)
MAX you can sell is 720mg
restrictions to ephedrine OTC
max you can sell is 180mg
can you sell epehedrine and pseudoephedrine at the same time if they are buying less than the max (720mg P, 180mg E)
never sell P + E at the same time to one person regardless of pack size
A patient comes in to buy nurofen day and night cold and flu tabs (ibuprofen, phenylephrine). He wants to buy 2 packs , one for him and one for his wife. Can you sell this?
Yes
restrictions only apply to pseudoephedrine (max 720mg) and epehedrine (max 180mg)
refer if cough longer than
3 weeks
a mother comes in with her 4 yr old son who has a barking cough , hoarse voice and stidor (high pitched sound when breathing in). What do you suggest?
Croup - refer to GP
usually self limiting, but speak to GP
can recommend paracetamol in the mean time to help with pain/fever
a mother comes in with her young child. he has been unwell. he has coughing bouts which are worse at night and she says that he takes deep gasps between each cough. what do you suggest
refer to GP - whooping cough
if within 3 weeks of onset of cough, GP can provide abx which will reduce the length of time the pt is coughing for
can recommend paracetamol/ibuprofen in the mean time
mother comes in asking to buy something to help her daughter sleep better at night because she has had a persistent night time cough. what do you suggets
refer to GP - night time cough classic sign of asthma in children
name 2 cough suppressants for dry cough
dextromethorphan
codeine (codeine linctus now a POM!! do not use in under 18s)
name 3 soothing agents for cough and how do they work
glycerin
honey
simple linctus
soothe irritation in throat
most useful for dry tickly cough, but can provide short term relief for chesty coughs too
What type of cough medicine would you give for a productive cough
expectorant
Name some expectorants for productive cough (3)
guaifenesin
sodium citrate
ammonium chloride
how do expectorants work for chesty cough
help break down phlegm in airways
doubt whether they actually do help although some evidence shows that guafinesin may be helpful
in march 2023, pholcoine containing cough and cold meds were withdrawn from UK market and are not sold or dispensed. why?
Due to a rare anaphylaxis reaction that can occur under certain types of general anaesthesia, so customers who are due to have surgery and have taken pholcodine in the last 12 months should inform their anaesthetist
can you give a cough or cold remedy that contains an antitussive (dextromethorphan) to children under 6
NO
can you give a cough or cold remedy that contains expectorants (guaifenesin) to children under 6
NO
can you give a cough or cold remedy that contains nasal congestants to children under 6
e.g. pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, oxymetazoline, phenylephedrine, xylometazoline
no
can you give a cough or cold remedy that contains antihitamines (e.g. chlorphenamine, diphenhydrarmine, promethazine etc) to child under 6
no
This can be recommeended to children >1year for dry cough but doctor should be consulted if symptoms last longer than 5 days
paediatric simple linctus or hot lemon and honey
child under 6 has blocked nose. what can you suggest
saline drops or nasal spray
patient has had sore throat lasting >7 days and no other associated cold and fly symptoms. what do you do
refer
which antihistamine OTC is combined with a decongestant e.g. pseudoephedrine to clear a blcoked nose
acrivastine
name a topical antihitamine that is available as OTC eye drops for itchy, red, watery eyes
hint antihistamine not mast cell stabiliser
antazoline
true or false - beconase can be used on regular basis during peak pollen season to prevent hay fever symptoms
true
what age for OTC beconase
18 and over
what is OTC beconase licensed for
steroid nasal sprays OTC - how do they work and when do they need to be taken
reduce inflammation in nose
need to be used continuously to stop nasal congestion and sneezing
can be used prn or long term
hay fever: best to use 1-2 weeks before symptoms are suspected to start
steroid nasal sprays should not be sold for use for <18s. name the ones available OTC
beclometasone
mometasone
triamcinolone
fluticasone
