Passing the PSA Flashcards
Drugs to stop before surgery
I LACK OP insulin lithium anticoagulants, antiplatelets COCP/HRT K sparing diuretics oral hypoglycaemics perindopril and ACE inhibitors
When do you need to stop the OCP and HRT before surgery?
4 weeks
before surgery: when do you stop lithium?
day before
When do you stop potassium sparing diuretics and ACE inhibitors before surgery?
day of surgery
What are the 9 things we have to think about for safe prescribing?
- Is it the correct patient?
- Do they have any allergies?
- Did you sign the front of the chart
- Consider any contraindications for the drug I am prescribing
- consider the route
- consider the need for IV fluids
- consider the need for thromboprophylaxis
- need for antiemetic
- consider the need for pain relief
What does the mnemonic PReSCRIBER stand for?
Patient details Reaction (allergies) Sign the front of chart check for Contraindications to each drug check Route for each drug prescribe IV fluids if needed prescribe Blood clot prophylaxis if needed prescribe antiEmetics if needed prescribe pain Relief if needed
What two commonly prescribed drugs both have penicillin in them?
co-amoxiclav and Tazocin
What are the four classes of drugs you must know the contraindications for?
- drugs that increase the bleeding risk
- for steriods
- NSAIDS
- antihypertensives
What are the contraindications for anticoagulation?
bleeding
suspicion that they could be bleeding
ischemic stroke (because could bleed into stroke)
Erythromycin (enzyme inducer) increase the PT and INR
What are the SE of steroids?
eyes= cataracts, glaucoma
face- moon like facies cushingoid appearance
cardiovascular- heart failure
skin and bones- osteoporosis and skin thinning and infection
endocrine= diabetes
NSAID contraindications
No urine Systolic dysfunction Asthma indigestion Dyscrasia clotting abnormality
What are the SE of ACE inhibitors
dry cough, hyperkalemia,
SE of Beta blockers and CA channel blockers
hypotension
Should Beta blockers be prescribed in asthmatics?
nope
SE of calcium channel blockers
perpheral oedema and flushing
diuretics can cause?
renal failure
What two drugs can cuase gout
thiazide diuretics and frusemide
Spirolactatone can cause
cause gyncomastia
Iv potassium what is the maximum infusion rate?
10 mmol/hour
What are the two situations fluids are prescribed?
replacement
maintenance
Which fluid are you going to give patients?
0.9% normal saline
when would you give 5% dextrose to a patient
hypernatremic or hypoglycemia
What would you give your patient for fluid resus if the patient has ascites?
human albumin solution
In fluid resuscitation how do you know how much fluid to give?
HR, BP, urine output
500 ml bolus 0.9%
if heart failure 250 ml
If the patient is only oligouric how do you give the fluid?
give 1 litre over 2-4 hours than reassess the patient
How can you predict the fluid deficit?
reduced urine output will be decreased
500ml
reduced UO plus tachycardia 1 litre of fluid
plus shock- greater than 2 L fluid depletion
How do you prescribe maintenance fluids?
general rule: elderly 2 L
normal 3L
What do you give for daily maintenance?
1 salty 2 sweet
1 litre normal saline and 2 litres of 5% dex
With a normal potassium level what is the daily requirement for the patient K?
40mmol per day (20 mmol per bag)
How fast can you give maintenance fluids?
So to calculate this all you have to do is take the
amount of fluid you need to give and divide from 24 hours.
So if the patient is elderly then you are going to give 2L over 24 hours therefore 1 bag every 12 hours
if needing to give three litres than it is 24 divided by 3 is 8 hourly
What should you do before prescribing fluids?
check the patient’s U&Es
check that the patient is not fluid overloaded
check that the patient’s bladder is not palpable.
Most patients will be prescribed low molecular weight heparin why wouldn’t you?
bleeding or risk of bleeding
When should compression stockings not be prescribed?
in PVD, in celulitis
in skin grafting
mixed arterial and venous disease
acute stroke
If the patient is nauseated what do you prescribe?
cyclizine 50mg 8 hourly IV
What is the adverse Se of cyclizine?
fluid retention
When would you not rep scribe cyclizine?
in heart failure so metoclopramide 10 mg 8 hourly
If the patient is not nauseated what anti-emetic would you use?
PRN anti-emetic
cyclizine 50mg every 8 hours
metoclopramide 50 mg to 8 hourly
when would you aviod metclopromide?
patients with parkinson’s
young women—-> dyskinesia - acute systolic reaction
If the patient is in no pain, but the nurse asks you to prescribe paracetamol
PRN 1 g up to 6 hourly oral
mild pain chart up dose of paracetamol?
regular meds
1 g 6 hourly
PRN
codeine 30 mg up to 6 hourly
severe pain prescribe analgesia
co-codamol 30/500 2 tablets every 6 hours
PRN morphine sulphate 10 mg up to 6 hourly oral
What is the first line treatment for neuropathic pain?
amitriptyline (10 mg oral nightly)
pregabalin 75 mg 12 hourly
duloxetine 60 mg OD
Remember what does co-codamol have in it?
30/500
30 mg codeine
500 mg paracetamol
What is the max daily dose of paracetamol?
4 g
What antibiotic should not be given with methotrexate?
trimethoprim as it is also a folic acid antagonist
What antihypertensive can cause peripheral oedema?
calcium channel blocker
If you have a normal ejection fraction and peripheral oedema what do you need to consider before putting the patient on frusemide?
drug induced by calcium channel blocker
What are the causes for hyponatremia
dehydration
drips
drugs
diabetes insipidus
what are the causes of neutrophillia?
bacterial infection
tissue damage (inflammation, infarct, malignancy)
steriods
what are the causes of low neutrophils
viral infection
chemotherapy
clozapine
carbimazole (antithyroid)
what a re the causes fro thrombocytopenia?
reduced production: infection drugs (penicillamine- RA) myeloma myelodysplasia, myelofibrosis increased destruction: heparin hypersplenism DIC ITP heamolytic uremic syndrome TTP
high platelets
reactive: bleeding tissue damage (infection/inflammation/ malignancy) post-splenectomy primary: myeloproliferative disorders
If the patient is hypovolemic what are the causes of hyponatremia?
fluid loss (D&V)
addisons
diuretics
What is the patient is euvolemic what are the causes of hyponatremia?
SIADH
psychogenic polydipsia
hypothyriodism
hypervolemic but hyponatremic what is the cause?
heart failure liver failure renal failure nutritional failure thyriod failure (hypothyriodism)
What are the cause of syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion?
small cell lung ca
infection
abcess
drugs
what are the cause of hypokalaemia?
drugs (loop or thiazides)
inadequate intake or intestinal loss
renal tubular acidosis
endocrine (sunshine’s and conns)
What are the causes of hyperkalemia?
drugs potassium sparing diuretics and ACE inh
renal failure
artefactual
diabetic ketoacidosis
What does raised urea indicate?
kidney injury or upper GI heamorrhage