General Pharmacology Flashcards
Medication EMT’s may administer
- Aspirin
- Glucose
- Oxygen
- Activated Charcoal
- Bronchodilator Inhaler
- Nitroglycerin
- Epinephrine Auto-Injectors
Prescribed Bronchodilator Inhalers
- Used in patients with asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis
- Enlarges constricted breathing tubes
- Side effects: increased heart rate, patient jitteriness
Prescribed Nitroglycerin
• Taken by patients with history of chest
pain of cardiac origin
• Helps dilate coronary vessels
• Contraindications: low blood pressure or taking medications for erectile dysfunction (Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, or similar)
• Vasodilator
• Side effect: dropping blood pressure
Prescribed Epinephrine Auto-Injectors
- Prescribed and used for patients with severe allergic reactions classified as anaphylaxis
- Vasoconstrictor; relaxes smooth muscles and airway passages
- Side effects: increased heart rate and blood pressure
Drug Names
• Each drug is listed by a generic name
• Each drug has at least three names – Chemical name
– Generic name
– Brand name (one or more trade names given to the drug by manufacturers)
What You Need to Know When Giving a Medication
- Indications
- Contraindications
- Side effects
- Untoward effects
Medication Safety and Clinical Judgment
- Administering or assisting with medications is a serious responsibility
- Know the medication
- Use good judgment
Medication Authorization
• Off-line medical direction
– Do not speak to physician
– Use standing orders
• On-line medical direction
– Speak directly to physician
– Listen to order; then repeat order back
– Ask for clarification if necessary
The Five Right - ptdmr
- Do I have the right patient?
- Is it the right time to administer this medication?
- Is this the right medication?
- Is this the right dose?
- Am I giving this medication by the right route of administration?
pt time med dose route
ptmdr
Routes of Administration
- Oral (swallowed)
- Sublingual (dissolved under tongue)
- Inhaled (breathed into lungs), usually as tiny aerosol particles such as from an inhaler or as a gas such as oxygen
- Intravenous (injected into vein)
- Intramuscular (injected into muscle)
- Subcutaneous (injected under skin)
- Intraosseous (injected into bone marrow cavity)
- Endotracheal (sprayed directly into tube inserted into trachea)
Age- and Weight-Related Considerationa
• Pharmacodynamics
– Study of effects of medications on body
– What effect will medication have on this patient?
– Patient-specific factors change how medication works
Reassessment and Documentation
- After administering medication, reassess patient
* Clearly document medications administered
Ways of Administering IV Fluids
• Heparin (saline) lock
– Catheter placed into vein
– Cap (lock) placed over end of catheter
– Lock has port for administering medications
• Traditional IV bag
– Hangs above patient
– Constantly flows fluids and medications into patient
IV Fluid Administration
• Clear plastic tubing connecting fluid bag to
needle or catheter
• Three important parts
– Drip chamber
– Flow regulator
– Drug or needle port
• Extension set (extra tubing)
Maintaining an IV
• Troubleshoot flow problems – Constricting bands left in place by mistake – Flow regulator left closed – Clamp closed on tubing – Tubing kinked – Line pinched under backboard (trauma)
- Adjust flow rate properly
- Monitor IV sites for infiltration
Chapter Review
- Aspirin, oral glucose, charcoal, and oxygen are medications carried on the ambulance that the EMT may administer to a patient under specific conditions.
- Inhalers, nitroglycerin, and epinephrine in auto-injectors are medications that, if prescribed, the EMT may assist the patient in taking
- You may need to have permission from medical direction to administer or assist the patient with a medication. Follow local protocols.
Chapter Review
• Find out what medications a patient is taking when you take the SAMPLE. Your main purpose in finding this out is to report this information to your Medical Director or hospital personnel.
Remember
• EMTs administer aspirin, oral glucose, activated charcoal, and oxygen as part of patient care.
• EMTs may assist with inhaled respiratory medications, nitroglycerine, and epinephrine auto-injectors.
EMTs should understand the names, indications, contraindications, and side effects of medications that they intend to administer.
• EMTs must have appropriate authorization to give a drug and always must follow the “five rights” of medication administration.
• Reassessment and documentation are important elements of medication administration.
Questions to Consider
- Should I administer a medication?
- How can I get more information about a drug?
- What are the necessary steps that must occur after medication administration?
Pharmacology
the study of drugs, their sources, their characteristics, and their side effects
asprin
a medication used to reduce the clotting ability of blood to prevent and treat clots associated with myocardial infarction
side effects:
GI Bleeding
Indications:
contraindiations: allergies
untoward effects:
administration: oral - chewed
oral glucose
a form of glucose (a kind of sugar) given by mouth to treat an awake patient (who is able to swallow) with an altered mental status & a history of diabetes
administration: tongue depressor between check - oral / buccal
indications:
contraindications:
side effects:
oxygen
a gas commonly found in the atmosphere. Pure oxygen is used as a drug to treat any patient whose medical or traumatic condition may cause him to be hypoxic, or low in oxygen.
administration: tongue depressor between check
indications:
contraindications:
side effects:
inhaler
a spray device with a mouthpiece that contains an aerosol form of a medication that a patient can spray into his airway
nitroglycerin
a drug that helps to dilate the coronary vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood
epinephrine
a drug that helps to constrict the blood vessels and relax the passages of the airway. It may be used to counter a severe allergic reaction
indication
specific signs or circumstances under which it is appropriate to administer a drug to a pt
contraindication
specific signs or circumstances under which it is not appropriate, and may be harmful, to administer a drug to a patient
side effect
any action of a drug other than the desired action
untoward effect
an effect of a medication in addition to its desired effect that may be potentially harmful to the patient
parenteral
referring to a route of medication administration that does not use the gastrointestinal tract, such as an intravenous medication
enteral
referring to a route of medication administration that used the gastrointestinal tract, such as swallowing a pill
pharmacodynamics
the study of the effects of medications on the body
Medications Patients Often Take
Analgesics: Prescribed for pain relief
Antidysrhythmics: Heart Rhythm Disorders
Anticovulsants: Prevention & Control Seizures
Antihypertensives: Reduce High blood pressure
Bronchodilators: relax smooth muscle of the bronchial tubes; asthma and allergies affecting respiratory system
Antidiabetic: control hyperglycemia
Antidepressant: regulate the emotional state
Setting up the IV
- Inspect the bag - is it the right fluid, expiration, clear and free of particulate, leaks?
- Select the proper administration set
- Connect the extension set to the administration set
- make sure the flow regulator is closed
- Remove the protective covering from the port of the fluid bag and the protective covering from the spiked end of the tubing
- Hold the fluid bag higher than the drip chamber
- Open the flow regulator to flush air from tubing
- Turn off flow
add a card for each of the drugs with indications / contraindications
.
call poison control - 1-800-222-1222
remember to do this during the labs
know administration routes and which or our drugs use them
.
remember to do another set of vitals after medication administration
.
