Fight or Flight
A client comes into the ER with difficulty breathing, hives to face and neck, and swelling to lips, eyelids, and throat. What medication does the nurse anticipate giving and by what route?
What is epinephrine intramuscularly
A client with newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease has been prescribed donepezil. When should the client take this medication?
At night
This medication, often used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), works by relaxing the smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder neck.
What is tamsulosin?
This corticosteroid medication is often prescribed to reduce inflammation, but nurses must monitor for side effects like increased blood sugar.
What is prednisone?
Aside from increased fluid intake, nurses should instruct clients to perform these actions, to increase the effects of Guaifenesin.
What are coughing and deep breathing exercises?
A client has gone into cardiac arrest. What medication will the nurse give first and through which route?
epinephrine IV push
The nurse recognizes what medication is the gold standard for a client with a heart rate of 40 beats/minute?
What is atropine
This is a key assessment a nurse performs after administering bethanechol to evaluate its effectiveness.
What is urinary output (or bladder distention)?
Nurses should instruct clients using fluticasone/salmeterol inhalers to do this after each use
What is rinse their mouth?
Nurses should monitor clients for these side effects when administering diphenhydramine, including dry mouth and urinary retention.
What are anticholinergic effects?
Which medication class primarily stimulates the "fight or flight" response, often used to treat low blood pressure or shock?
What are adrenergic drugs such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine
A client diagnosed with Alzheimer's comes to the ER complaining of lacrimation (watering eyes), diarrhea, vomiting and excessive sweating. What does the nurse expect they are experiencing and why?
Cholinergic Crisis because too much donepezil
A client comes into the ER with complaints of lower abdominal discomfort and difficulty urinating. When the nurse asked how long it had been since they urinated, they reported at least 10 hours. What medical diagnosis would this nurse ask about and what medication may be ordered?
What is benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and tamsulosin
A rapid heart rate is a potential cardiovascular side effect of this medication given for an emphysema exacerbation.
What is albuterol?
This is a common beverage that should be avoided when taking fexofenadine, as it can reduce the medications effectiveness.
What is fruit juice?
The primary reason epinephrine is added to lidocaine in local anesthetic injections is to cause this action, which prolongs the anesthetic effect.
What is vasoconstriction?
A client diagnosed with Alzheimer's comes to the ER complaining of lacrimation (watering eyes), diarrhea, vomiting and excessive sweating. What does the nurse expect the provider will prescribe?
What is atropine
A nurse administering pyridostigmine should be alert for signs of this, which includes excessive salivation, sweating, and muscle weakness, and is caused by too much acetylcholine.
What is a cholinergic crisis?
In asthma treatment, this medication is typically administered before inhaled corticosteroids to maximize their effectiveness.
What is albuterol?
Nurses should monitor clients taking pseudoephedrine for this cardiovascular side effect, especially in those with preexisting conditions.
What is hypertension (or elevated blood pressure)?
Due to its vasoconstrictive properties, epinephrine with lidocaine should be used with extreme caution or avoided in these areas of the body, which have limited collateral blood flow.
What are the fingers, toes, ears, nose, and genitalia?
A newly graduated nurse is working with a client on hospice. The nurse notes a prescription for atropine. The nurse asks another nurse why this medication was ordered as the client is a do not resuscitate (DNR). The second nurse reports this medication was ordered because...
Before administering pyridostigmine, a nurse would assess the client's ability to do this, as the medication improves neuromuscular transmission.
What is the client's muscle strength or ability to swallow/breathe?
This anticholinergic bronchodilator is often administered via inhaler to treat COPD and asthma, and can cause dry mouth.
What is ipratropium?
When administering dextromethorphan, nurses should be aware that this is a potential side effect, especially in high doses, and monitor the client for it.
What is dizziness or drowsiness?