course work Flashcards
metoclopramide: indications
control of nausea and vomiting (secondary to chemo, radiation, opioids, labour, infectious diseases and other known causes)
diabetic gastroparesis,
GORD
adjunct for gastrointestinal radiological examinations
parenteral metoclopramide may be used to facilitate small-intestinal intubation
metoclopramide: adverse reactions
restlessness, anxiety, drowsiness, fatigue
diarrhoea, nausea,
extrapyramidal (parkinsonism) effects, tardive dyskinesia
rare but life threatening: agranulocytosis, neutropenia, seizures, suicidal ideation
metoclopramide: routes of administration
PO, IM, IV
metoclopramide: nursing care considerations
use cautiously in patients with history of depression, Parkinson’s, hypertension
patient should avoid activities which require alertness for 2hrs
diazepam: indications for use
ANXIOLYTIC/SEDATIVE
anxiety (short term use only)
insomnia
preoperative sedation
acute alcohol withdrawal/ withdrawal from benzodiazepines
before endoscopic procedures
muscle spasms/spasticity
febrile seizures and epilepsy
and several more
diazepam: adverse reactions
CNS depression, dependence, neuro dysfunction
drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness
less common: disturbances of memory, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) function, genitourinary functions, and vision and skin reactions.
diazepam: routes of administration
oral - tablets or elixir, IM, IV, rectal tubes (for seizures)
diazepam: nursing care considerations
possibility of addiction and abuse/prescribe for short periods only
contras: COAD, severe respiratory or liver disease, sleep apnoea, substance dependence, hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines
use with caution: glaucoma, impaired liver/renal function, depression or psychosis, elderly or very young, pregnancy and lactating
What is phlebitis and what are the three types of phlebitis?
inflammation of a vein
mechanical - movement of cannula within vein causes friction
chemical - caused by the drug or fluid being infused (for example, antibiotics are reported to increase the
incidence of chemical phlebitis due to
their low pH)
infective - caused by the introduction of bacteria into the vein
What are the key considerations when choosing a site for an intra-muscular injection?
determine that the site is free of pain, infection, necrosis, bruising, and abrasions. Also consider the location of underlying bones, nerves, and blood vessels and the volume of medication you will administer
What are the anatomical landmarks for IM injection into the deltoid?
Feel for the bone (acromion process) that’s located at the top of the upper arm. The correct area to give the injection is two finger widths below the acromion process. At the bottom of the two fingers, will be an upside-down triangle. Give the injection in the center of the triangle.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of subcutaneous drug administration?
blood supply to SC tissue is poor, so absorption is relatively slow (SR of drug, for example insulin) client may experience some pain as subcutaneous tissue contains nerve endings
What are the nursing responsibilities associated with a patient’s cannula?
recording notes on IV intervention maintaining fluid balance chart changing dressing as necessary assisting patient to ambulate if needed, assisting patient to change clothes when needed assess for patency etc
What are the advantages and disadvantages of intravenous drug administration?
avoids process of absorption, which results in fast action
good when medication is irritating to tissue
rapid dilution of extremely irritant medicines in bloodstream
because of rapidity of effect, potential adverse effects pose a higher risk
What are the advantages and disadvantages of intramuscular drug administration?
muscles highly vascular so quite rapid absorption
large site so large volumes can be injected (deltoid not so much)
good for medications that are irritating/painful
risk of damage to nerve (especially dorsogluteal site)
How much fluid may be injected into the deltoid?
1 ml or less of clear, non-irritating solutions
Whaat does ISBAR stand for?
Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
What is a Peripheral Intravenous Cannula?
a device that is designed to be
inserted into and remain within a peripheral vein (excludes peripherally
inserted central line catheters)
When do you assess the patency of an IV cannula?
each time it is accessed for use
at least once every shift
any time a patient is transferred between wards or departments
Aside from patency, what other assessments are involved when caring for a patient with an IV
cannula? (6)
erythema tenderness pain swelling dressing integrity PIVC position
How long does an IV cannula remain insitu?
no more than 72 hours, unless there is no sign of infection and either replacement is likely to be difficult or it’s likely to be needed for no more than 24 hours more
what are the four essential elements of valid consent?
it must be voluntary, specific, informed, and the person must have legal capacity
what is measured in a FBC or CBC and diff?
RBC count haemoglobin haematocrit (PCV) blood smear platelet count mean platelet volume red blood cell indices WBC count
what are the two different classifications of WBCs?
granulocytes - neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils
resp rate: normal range
12 - 20
(adult)
pulse rate: normal range
60 - 100 (adult)
body temp (tympanic): normal range
35.5 - 37.5 (adult)
define risk? (MH)
risk is the likelihood of an adverse event or outcome
define risk factors
the particular features of illness, behaviour or circumstances that alone or in combination lead to an increased risk
define risk assessment
an estimation of the likelihood of particular adverse events occurring under particular circumstances within a specified period of time
define affinity
the extent of binding of a drug to a receptor
how well the drug fits into the receptor
define specificity and selectivity
The specificity of a drug describes the number of effects the drug produces, while selectivity describes the number of molecular targets the drug interacts with.
An ideal drug would interact with a single molecular target, at a single site, and cause only one effect. Such a drug would be described as having complete specificity; unfortunately, no drugs can lay claim to that title. Most drugs show some degree of selectivity – that is, a preference for a molecular target – but may lack specificity either because they act on more than one molecular target or because they act on a molecular target that is located in multiple organs or tissues throughout the body.
define efficacy
the ability of a drug to produce an effect once it is bound to the molecular target.
The maximal efficacy of a drug is the maximum response a drug can produce.
The clinical effectiveness of a drug depends on its efficacy, not on its potency.
important: only an agonist has efficacy - an antagonist has affinity but not efficacy
define potency
the relative amount of a drug that has to be present to produce a desired effect
the more potent the drug, the lower the dose required to acheive effect (ie fentanyl is much more potent than oxycodone)
important - efficacy and potency are not the same thing
what are the four aspects of pharmacokinetics?
absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
what factors influence the absorption of drugs?
- surface area of absorbing site
- blood circulation to site of administration
- drug solubility - (lipids and lipid soluble absorbs faster)
- ionisation, which is determined by pH of the environment (acid drugs absorb well in acid environment; basic drugs in basic)
- size of the molecule of the drug (smaller is faster)
- formulation eg, SR, enteric coating
how are most drugs absorbed in the body?
simple diffusion
how do almost all drugs work, with the exception of many chemotherapy drugs?
by binding to proteins, which are known as molecular targets or sites of action
many chemo drugs are the exception because the bind to DNA, which is not a protein
what are the four main types of molecular drug targets?
transporters eg SSRIs
ion channels eg calcium channel blockers
enzymes eg ACE inhibitors
receptors - largest and most diverse type of molecular drug target eg morphine and other opiates work on opioid receptors
what factors influence the magnitude of a pharmacological effect of a drug?
the nature of the interaction with the target
the affinity of the drug for the target
the concentration of a drug at the site of action
what factors influence the concentration of a drug at the site of action?
the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of the drug (ie pharmacokinetics)