Prescription Review Flashcards
Drugs that cause hyperkalaemia?
ACEi, ARBs, antifungals, CCBs, penicillin, cyclosporine, digoxin, spironolactone, heparins, mannitol, glucose, NSAIDS, pentamidine, tacrolimus, heparins, trimethoprim
Drugs that cause hypokalaemia?
fold acid, exogenous insulins, diuretics, aminophylline, theophylline amphotericin B, salbutamol, laxatives, sodium bicarbonate, corticosteroids, verapamil (in overdose), fludrocortisone, mannitol, senna
When to avoid nitrofurantoin?
Chronic kidney disease
Drugs that cause hyponatraemia?
Thiazide diuretics, diuretics, citalopram, TCAs, PPIs, opioids, ACEi, amiodarone, anticonvulsants eg. carbamazepine, sodium valproate, theophylline, NSAIDs, metoclopramide, heparin, haloperidol, opioids, cyclophosphamide
Drugs that cause hypernatraemia?
diuretics, sodium bicarbonate, corticosteroids, oestrogens, lithium, tolvaptan
Drugs that can cause hyperglycaemia?
Ciprofloxacin, corticosteroids, octreotide,
Loop diuretics adverse reactions?
(e.g. furosemide): dehydration, renal impairment, hypokalaemia.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs adverse reactions?
gastrotoxicity, renal impairment, hypertension.
Opioid analgesics (e.g. morphine) ADRs?
constipation, confusion, drowsiness, urinary retention.
Enzyme inhibitors?
SICKFACES.COM G
Sodium valproate, isoniazid, ketoconazole, fluconazole, alcohol bniging, clarithromycin, erythromycin, sulphonadmies, ciprofloxacin, omeprazole, metronidazole, grapefruit juice
Enzyme inducers?
SCRAP G/ PC BRAS
Sulphonylureas, phenytoin, phenobarbitol, st john’s wort, smoking, carbamazepine, rifampicin, alcohol, griseofulvin
Don’t give omeprazole and clopidogrel
Emergency hypoglycaemia?
10% glucose, 150ml over 15 minutes
Emeregency hypercalcaemia?
0.9% sodium chloride
1L over 4 hours
5% glucose with what level of potassium chloride?
0.15%
Causes of diarrhoea?
Methotrexate + flucloxacillin
Statin therapy guidelines?
<40% reduction in non-HDL cholesterol after 3months = consider increasing the dose
Drugs to stop in AKI?
diuretics, ACEi, ARBs, NSAIDs, gentamicin, vancomycin, amphotericin B, cyclophosphamide, contrast media
4 medications for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease?
Ramipirl, aspirin, ticagrelor, atorvastatin
Drugs to stop prior to surgery?
Insulin
Lithium
Anticoagulants/antiplatelets
COCP
Potassium sparing diuretic (spironolactone)
ACEi
Oral hypoglycaemic
Drugs to be continued during surgery?
SHE CANT STOP
steroids, HIV, epilepsy, calcium channel blockers, ATT, NTG, thiazides, statins, thyroid drugs, OCP, propanolol
Drugs To Stop prior to surgery?
These commonly stopped medications can be remembered as ‘CHOW’.
Clopidogrel – stopped 7 days prior to surgery due to bleeding risk; aspirin and other anti-platelets can often be continued and minimal effect on surgical bleeding
Hypoglycaemics – see ‘Diabetes Mellitus’ below
Oral contraceptive pill (OCP) or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – stopped 4 weeks before surgery due to DVT risk. Advise the patient to use alternative means of contraception during this time period.
Warfarin* – usually stopped 5 days prior to surgery due to bleeding risk and commenced on therapeutic dose low molecular weight heparin
Surgery will often only go ahead if the INR <1.5, so you may have to reverse the warfarinisation with PO Vitamin K if the INR remains high on the evening before
*Direct Oral AntiCoagulants (DOACs), such as Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, or Edoxaban, will also need stopping pre-operatively, however the duration of this depends on the type used
Drugs to alter prior to surgery?
Subcutaneous insulin – may be switched to variable rate intravenous insulin infusion (VRIII), as discussed below
Long-term steroids – must be continued, due to the risk of Addisonion crisis if stopped
If the patient cannot take these orally, switch to intravenous (a simple conversion rate is 5mg PO prednisolone = 20mg IV hydrocortisone)
- Bowel obstruction nausea:
o 1st ‘Drip & suck’
Relieves nausea effectively if pressure build-up is present
o 2nd IV cyclizine, ondansetron
Metoclopramide is contraindicated
Treatment in insomnia?
o Zopiclone 7.5mg ON
When must rivaroxaban be taken?
With food
Starting treatment (opioids in palliative care?
o 15mg MR morphine (MST), PO BD (total of 30mg)
o 5mg IR oromorph, PO PRN
o Opioids in CKD
GFR 30-60 oxycodone
GFR <30 alfentanil, fentanyl, buprenorphine
Ongoing treatment opiates palliative care?
o Starting doses for oromorph is 2.5-5mg, 4-hourly
o Increase by 1/3rd (30-50%) if pain not 90% relieved
o Breakthrough doses = 1/6th of total morphine in 24 hours
Bony metastasis pain treatment?
1st: Analgesics
2nd: Bisphosphonates
3rd: Radiotherapy
Max NSAID dose?
NSAID = dose 400mg (max 2.4g)
- Avoid in heart failure?
o Thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone) fluid retention
o NSAIDs/glucocorticoids caution: fluid retention [75mg aspirin exception]
o Verapamil negative inotropic effect
o Class I antiarrhythmics (flecainide) negative inotropic and proarrhythmic effects
Drugs for insomnia?
o 1st line: Z-drugs (Zopiclone)
o 2nd line / severe insomnia: BDZ (Nitrazepam; 2-4w)
o Hypernatraemic / hypoglycaemic fluids?
5% dextrose
- T1DM monitoring
adult (≥4x/day incl. before meals, before bed); child (≥5x/day)
Targets for T1DM?
o Waking target of 5-7mmol/L
o Other targets of 4-7mmol/L
Insulin diabetic: surgery rules?
o If glucose >12mmol/L, capillary blood ketones >3 or urine ketones +++ delay surgery
o If glucose 4-12mmol/L proceed with surgery
Adjusting insulin regimen
o Adjusting basal/bolus regimens:
High/low before breakfast / at night increase/decrease evening long acting
High/low before lunch / dinner / bed increase/decrease rapid acting in meal before
o Adjusting BD pre-mixed / intermediate regimens:
High/low before bed AND before breakfast increase/decrease evening insulin
High/low before lunch AND before evening meal increase/decrease morning insulin
o Adjusting ON regimens:
High/low before breakfast increase/decrease insulin
o Adjusting OM regimens:
High/low before lunch AND before evening meal increase/decrease insulin
Sulphonylureas; SE & CI?
- SEs: weight gain, hypoglycaemia
- CI: ketoacidosis; Caution: high BMI, G6PDD
Thiazolidinedione eg. PIOGLITAZONE
- SEs: weight gain (peripheral), abnormal LFTs, bladder cancer, osteoporosis (# risk)
- CI: HF, bladder cancer (query, past, present)
Gliptins
- Good addition to metformin if the patient is overweight
- CI: ketoacidosis; Caution: eGFR <45 (reduce dose, but can be used in renal failure)
Metformin + SGLT-2i EMPAGLIFLOZIN)
- SEs: euglycaemic DKA, urosepsis/infections, Fournier’s gangrene, angioedema
- CI: DKA, eGFR <60 (CKD 4, 5; mx: sitagliptin, gliclazide); Caution: complicated UTI