Respiratory Medications Flashcards
Types of Upper Airway Medications
- Antitussives
- Decongestants
- Expectorants
- Mucolytics
- Antihistamines
Anti-tussives
-Overview
- Anti cough medication
- Reduces cough by a variety of methods
- OTC and prescription
- Reduces cough, regardless of cause / doesn’t treat underlyning issue
- Coughing is an natural part of body defense
- can be dangerous to suppress
When to give Anti-tussives
Cough medication can be used when a pt is not sleeping well.
ACE-inhibitors and Anti-tussives
ACE inhibitors “prils” cause a dry chronic cough. You need to deal with underlying issue instead of just treating the cough
How do opioids work to suppress cough?
- Codeine / hydrocodone (hycodan)
2. Suppresses the cough center in the brain
Non-opioid Antitussives
- Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM) /
benzonatate (tessalon perles)
2.
Antitussives
-Contraindication
- Asthma
- Opioid contraindications (People w/ problems with breathing or constipation) (people who need to be alert) (Pt’s with head trauma)
- Caution w/ asthma, COPD
- CNS depressants and alcohol
- MAOI’s
- NARCAN is ANTIDOTE for opioids
Adverse Effects
-Opioid antitusives
- CNS depression
- Dependency
- Common: dizziness, drowsiness, N/V/C pruritus
- Life threatening: Respiratory depression, arrhythmias
Adverse Effects
-Non-opioid antitussives
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness (dextromethorphan)
- N/V/stomach pain
Anti-tussives
-Nursing implications/teaching
- Watch for opioid adverse effects
- Codeine intolerance (mostly stomach related)
- Notify prescriber if cough persists
Decongestants
How it works?
- Sympathetic response
- Decreases congestion in the nose, several different medication types from ANTI-CHOLINERGICS TO ADRENERGIC AGONISTS
- VASOCONSTRICTION OF ARTERIOLS
How do decongestants work?
Vasoconstriction of the arterioles
Rebound Congestion
- Happens with sympathetic medication (adrenergic)
2. If a sympathetic med is used more than 5 days, arterioles with dilate and a rebound congestion will happen
Decongestants
-Contraindication
- MAOIs (don’t eat food w/ tyramine)
2. Caution w/ HTN, cardiac Dz, DM
Best Expectorant is?
hydration
Expectorant
-Guaifenesin
- Well tolerated
2. watch for drowsiness
Antihistamines
- Histamines vasodilator so we want to block dilation
Benadryl
- 1st generation antihistamine
2. Cause drowsiness
2nd Generation Anti-histamines
- Doesn’t cause drowsiness
- Used to treat allergy
- Blocks histamine receptors
Allegra, claratin
Anti-histamines
-Contraindication
- Don’t take with any obstructions
- GI, Bladder neck, or BPH obstructions - Narrow angle glaucoma
- Asthma
- Bone marrow depression
- Severe CNS depression and coma
Anti-histamines
-Adverse Effects
- 1st generation makes you drowsy
- 2nd generation can make people awake (hard to sleep)
3.
Anti-histamines
-Nursing Implications/Teaching
- Increase fluids
- Watch for drowsiness with (generation 1)
- Don’t mix alcohol or other sedating meds
- Teach ways to relieve dry mouth
- Administer meds w/ food, except LORATADINE (CLARATIN)
CLARITIN
- Anti-histamine that is NOT administered w/ food
Lower Respiratory Medications
- Asthma
- COPD
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
Asthma and COPD cause?
- Inflammation
2. Bronchoconstriction