NURSING PROCESS Methylphenidate HCl (Ritalin) Flashcards
Upon determination of the patient’s health history, what conditions will contraindicate drug’s actions?
History of heart disease, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, parkinsonism, or glaucoma
Which drug does Ritalin reverse effects of?
Antihypertensives
What would you evaluate in children?
Height, growth, weight
Which lab results would you gather before and during therapy in terms of blood values?
CBC, WBCs, and platelets
When monitoring vital signs, what abnormal finding would you report?
If there are irregularities
What information would you constantly monitor in children?
Height, weight, and growth
When observing withdrawal symptoms, what would you see?
Nausea, vomiting, weakness, headache
What are the side effects? Report these findings.
Insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, tremors, irritability tachycardia, elevated blood pressure
What would instruct client when taking the medication, such as when should the client take the drug?
Take drug before meals
Which fluid would the client need to avoid?
Alcohol
When teaching the client, how often should the client check weight? What finding would they report to you?
Twice a week. Report if there is weight loss
When taking the drug, what should the client NOT engage to?
Avoid driving and using hazardous equipment when experiencing tremors, nervousness, or increased heart rate
How should the drug be stopped?
Tapered, to avoid withdrawal symptoms
When shopping for the drugs OTC, what would you teach the client?
Read the labels and check if there is a high concentration of caffeine in them. High serum levels of caffeine could be fatal
When teaching nursing mothers, what would you remind them about CNS stimulants?
They should avoid ALL CNS stimulants because they are excreted in breast and milk which can cause restlessness or hyperactivity in infants
Warn client or family that long-term use may lead to drug abuse
Okay…
Regarding foods, what would you teach the client to avoid?
Avoid foods that contain caffeine
For children taking this drug, what would you teach the child’s family?
Provide them with a nutritious breakfast because the drug may have anorexic effects
Which side effects would you teach the client to report?
Tachycardia and palpitations. Monitor children of Tourette syndrome
What is Tourette syndrome?
Uncontrollable repetition of sounds or movement of a body part (e.g., tics, arm thrusting)
What would you evaluate?
Effectiveness of drug therapy, level of hyperactivity, and presence of adverse effects. Monitor weight, sleep patterns, and mental status
