What a PAIN!
Your patient is admitted to the emergency department unresponsive, with pin point pupils, and respiratory rate of 6 breaths per minute. What medication are you immediately wanting to administer?
What is NALOXONE (Narcan)?
Your patient is exhibiting signs of opioid overdose. Naloxone is the reversal agent.
This over-the-counter antihistamine treats symptoms of itchy eyes, sneezing, and hives.
What is fexofenadine (Allegra)?
This works by blocking the histamine response in your body. Take with caution if you have kidney disease, are pregnant or breast-feeding.
I take this medication daily at bedtime in order to promote better breathing by preventing bronchospasm, wheezing, and coughing caused by asthma.
What is montelukast (Singulair)?
Blood levels peak in about 3-4 hours after a dose. This is why it is recommended to take at night in order to match peak drug levels with onset of symptoms.
This class of medications is widely used as a primary prevention for people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, and a secondary prevention for those who have already developed cardiovascular disease. These medications work to lower serum cholesterol levels and stabalize existing arterial plaque.
What are "statins"?
This beta-blocker is used to treat high blood pressure and migraine headaches, but when administered as eye drops it is used to treat glaucoma.
What is timolol?
The damage from glaucoma is caused by increase pressure within the eye.
This drug lowers the pressure in the eye by reducing build-up of fluid.
When you take this classification of medications for pain management, make sure you increase your intake of fiber to mitigate this risk.
What is opioid-induced constipation?
Opioids slow transit through the GI tract, particularly in older adults. The nurse should advise increasing water intake as appropriate and increasing dietary fiber.
This is actually the name given to the hormone CORTISOL, when it is supplied as a medication. It is the treatment of choice for many different conditions from rash to adrenal crisis to analphylaxis!
What is hydrocortisone?
It can be supplied orally, topically, or by injection. It is considered to be an anti-allergic medication and is immunosuppressive.
Man oh man! The expected side effect of this drug causes my GI track to MOVE! Administration of this non-absorbable sugar is very effective in treating hepatic encephalopathy by binding with, and removing, ammonia.
What is lactulose?
It generally begins to work with in 8 hr after administration but can take up to 2 days to improve the condition. And, yes, diarrhea is expected.
Adverse effects of this drug include symptoms of lightheadedness, tiredness, and dry cough.
What is captopril?
Actually, any 'pril' (ACE inhibitor)
Common side effects of this supplement include nausea, anorexia, constipation, and darker than usual stools. It can even stain your teeth!
What is ferrous sulfate?
It is taken as a supplement to prevent low blood levels of iron. Patients should be sure to know their serum iron level before taking, because over-dosage is uncomfortable (GI upsets) and can even cause liver damage 2-5 days after overdose.
This opioid analgesic can make the patient act "low and slow" by decreasing respiratory rate particularly in the opioid-naiive patient.
What is morphine sulfate?
Weight gain is commonly seen when taking higher doses of this medication and over longer term because steroids reduce your body's ability to break down food to usable energy.
What is methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol)?
This medication is given by slow IV injection or can be given IM.
This antibiotic is FDA-approved to treat pneumonia, pyelonephritis, and prostatitis, and other infections that are considered "difficult to treat". It does not treat viral infections however.
What is levofloxacin (Levaquin)?
This is a quinolone antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
ACE-inhibitors work by helping to relax the veins and arteries to lower blood pressure. The acronym "ACE" stands for this term.
What is angiotensin converting enzyme?
Ok so this was on your Pharm 1 list but you still need to know it.
This medication is manufactured using DNA technology and is used to stimulate red blood cell production in patients with chronic kidney disease.
What is epoetin (or erythropoetin)?
This is given as a subcutaneous injection 1-3 times per week. You can expect hemoglobin levels to increase (and the patient feels better!).
When administering this medication for pain relief, the nurse must also consider the total number of milligrams of acetaminophen that the patient has received within the past 24 hours.
What is hydrocodone/APAP(Norco)?
Hydrocodone is a potent analgesic whose benefit is enhanced when combined with acetaminophen (APAP). However! Too much APAP leads to liver failure. Maximum amount of APAP (tylenol) in 24 hours is 4,000mg (or 4 grams).
This medication is quite versatile! It can relieve nausea, insomnia, itchiness, and even anxiety!
What is hydroxyzine?
Trade names include Atarax, Vistaril, Hyzine...
This antimycobacterial works by killing the bacteria that caused the infection. When combined with other medications is very effective against tuberculosis.
What is rifampin?
For Tb with symptoms, a 4-month treatment regimen might include rifampin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide with 6-month follow-up.
This medication is used to prevent chest pain caused by angina as well as helping to prevent irregular heart rhythms (dysrhythmias) and help control hypertension. It is a calcium-channel blocker. It works by relaxing the blood vessels so the heart does not have to pump as hard.
What is verapamil?
This medication helps the body make white blood cells. Patients who need this medication likely had received chemotherapy and/or radiation for cancer treatment.
What is filgastrim (Neopogen)?
Filgastrim is used successfully for cancer patients to stimulate the growth of white blood cells, making the patient less vulnerable to infection.
This potent schedule II analgesic is roughly TEN TIMES stronger than morphine, and only about one-tenth as strong as fentanyl.
What is hydromorphone (Dilaudid)?
This is an immunosuppressive drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
What is inflixamab (Remicade)?
Another drug in this class is adalimumab (Humira). Notice the "mab" at the end of the word. This means Monoclonal Anti-Body. If a drug name ends in "mab" then it is likely in this same class of medications.
These two medications on your Pharm 2 List would be used in combination to treat persons with HIV.
What are zodovudine and nevirapine?
Treatment for HIV is called anti-retroviral therapy (ART). ART involves combining different antiviral medications to help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives.
This blood test is used to measure a substance in your blood, called creatine kinase (CK), that is released into the blood when your muscles are inflamed or damaged - as can occur as an adverse effect of this class of medications. If the CK is more than 5 times normal level, your doctor may likely advise you stop taking the drug?
What are 'statins'?
Statis can also inflame the liver, causing rise in AST and ALT levels. Regular monitoring is advised.
Bonus question:
The nursing student will declare this out loud after completing this Pharmacology 2 test!
What is "I ACED THIS!"
Good luck - you earned this.