IV Drug Administration

Question 1

What are the reasons for giving someone intravenous medication?

Answer 1

• medication not available in another form
• cant tolerate medication by another route
• constant or high blood level of medication required
• rapid onset
• some medication more effective by IV

Question 2

what are the contraindications to giving IV medication?

Answer 2

• increased cost and time to administer the medication
• trained staff required
• rapid onset of action- could be fatal
• volume of fluid required to dilute
• can cause pain and discomfort
• provides a site for infection to infiltrate

Question 3

what are the types of IV devices?

Answer 3

• peripheral venous catheters

- central venous catheters- hickmen and Broviac lines

Question 4

What complications may arise from IV administration of drugs?

Answer 4

• fear, phobia, pain
• infection leading to sepsis
• thrombophlebitis
• infiltration
• Extravasation
• red man syndrome
• anaphylaxis/hypersensitivity

Question 5

Describe infiltration and extravasation.

Answer 5

infiltration- when drug enters tissue space causing discomfort
extravasation- infiltration of a vesicant- chemical agent causes blistering

Question 6

What is Red man syndrome? What are the main signs and symptoms?

Answer 6

hypersensitivity reaction due to histamine release:
-erythematous rash of face, neck and upper torso
-diffuse burning, itching
rarer- angioedema, chest pain, hypotension, dyspnea

Question 7

Which drug causes red man syndrome

Answer 7

vancomycin

Question 8

how is incidence of red man syndrome reduced?

Answer 8

• slowing infusion rate of drug

- giving more dilute solution

Question 9

What is bioavailability?

Answer 9

the fraction of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation

Question 10

What affects bioavailability?

Answer 10

liver removes a proportion of drug when it is taken orally

Question 11

What is the relationship between drug concentration and elimination?

Answer 11

• drug is eliminated from the body as soon as it is in the circulation via the kidneys
• the higher the concentration of drug the more is removed per unit time
• eventually rate of infusion= rate of drug removed

Question 12

What is clearance?

Answer 12

volume of blood or plasma cleared of drug in a unit time. It is a constant value. Every drug has a unique clearance rate

Question 13

What is the half life relationship of a drug?

Answer 13

t1/2= (ln2 x volume distribution)/ clearance

Question 14

What is half life related to? What is it not related to? What does this mean?

Answer 14

• volume of distribution and clearance of drug
• drug concentration
• increase in drug concentration does not increase time to reach steady state plasma concentration it just means this concentration will be greater