Nursing Pharmacology - Chapter 3 Flashcards

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Adverse Drug Reaction
(ADR's)
* Adverse Drug Reaction - Undesired effects of drugs that may be unpleasant or dangerous. Most often affects the very young and the very old.
Reasons ADR's Occur
- Drug may have other effects on the body besides the theraputic effect. (Impotence w/beta blockers)
- Patient is sensitive to the drug being given.
- The drug's action on the body causes other responses.
- Patient is taking too much or too little of the drug.
Types of Adverse Reactions
- Primary Actions
* Over dose: extension of the desired effect (blood pressure too low)
- Secondary Actions
* Undesired effects produced in addition to the pharmacologic effect (elevated blood glucose with steroids)
- Hypersensitivity Reactions
* Excessive response to primary or secondary effect of drug (often due to a co-morbidity such as BPH)
Drug Allergies
- In all true allergic reactions, the body forms antibodies; must have primary exposure or expsure to a drug that is closely related (cross allergy)
Types of Drug Allergies
Anaphylactic
Cytoxic
Serum Sickness
Delayed Allergic Reaction
Anaphylactic Reaction
- Hives
- Shortness of breath
- Elevated heart rate and B/P
- Throat swelling
- respiratory arrest
- EMERGENCY SITUATION
- Treat with epinephrine
Cytoxic Reaction
- Antibodies attack cells carrying the drug and kill them.
- Takes a few days
- Blood counts decreased
- Can affect renal and liver functions (elevated LFT and creatinine)
Serum Sickness Reaction
- Antibodies deposit themselves in tissues and cause damage.
- Rash
- Fever
- Swollen Joints
- Facial edema
Delayed Allergic Reaction
- Occurs several hours after exposure
- Rash
- Hives
- Swollen Joints
DRUG INDUCED TISSUE
AND ORGAN DAMAGE
--------------------------------------
Dermatological Reactions
* RASH /HIVES*
- Assessment:
* Abnormalities in the skin, red area blisters
- Interventions
* Frequently need to discontinue medication
- Stomatitis - often seen with chemotherapy
* Inflammation of the mucous membranes
- Interventions
* Frequent mouth care
Superinfections
- Destruction of the body's normal flora
- Assessment:
* Fever, diarrhea, vaginal discharge. Vaginal bacterial or yeast infections are very common w/AIDS
- Intervention:
* Supportive care (mouth and skin care), administer anti-fungal medications, may need to stop drug responsible for the infection
Blood Dyscrasias
- Bone marrow supression. New blood cells are not created to replace the one's that are dying.
* Assessment: Watch that bloodwork for trending
* Blood Counts are LOW
* RBC, WBC, PLATELETS
- Fever, chills, weakness
- Interventions:
* monitor blood counts
* protective isolation

( RBC = red blood cells, WBC = white blood cells, Platelets)
Toxicity
- Liver
* Assessment:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Jaundice
- Change in color of urine (dark) or stool (pale)
- elevated liver enzymes
* Interventions
- discontinue medication FAST

- Kidney
* Assessment:
- Change in urinary pattern
- Elevated BUN and creatinine
* Interventions
- Notify physician, may need to stop medication or decrease the dosage. If very bad, dialysis may be needed.
Poisoning
- Poisoning occurs when an overdose of a drug damages mulptiple body systems
- Damage to multiple systems can lead to a fatal reaction