Study Guides
Dosages
Foundations
DRUGS
Most instructors will say to break things down
in to classes, and gain an
understanding of these classes (i.e. Calcium Channel Blockers).
Look for clues in the name of the drug as to what class it is, i.e. Propranolol (“-lol”) = Beta Blocker.
Focus on adverse effects and side effects, and nursing actions within the drug classes (i.e. hold a beta blocker or digitalis if the HR is below 60).
Look for clues in the name of the drug as to what class it is, i.e. Propranolol (“-lol”) = Beta Blocker.
Focus on adverse effects and side effects, and nursing actions within the drug classes (i.e. hold a beta blocker or digitalis if the HR is below 60).
HOWEVER, I WILL
ADD TO THIS...
KNOW THE MECHANISM OF ACTION of the drug.
This is something that vastly improved my memory and understanding of drugs. This
will very often give you an idea of what the adverse and side effects are, and thus, what you need to be
thinking that you will need to watch for as a nurse. Check out the LEHNE book early! It sucks to get to know another
book, but it is awesome… at least look at the chapter summaries.
·
In
knowing the mechanism of action, you
will do very well to especially understand the heart and respiratory drugs' mechanism of action especially.
A big part of this is knowing the This means is that you will need to know the difference between SYMPATHETIC and PARASYMPATHETIC actions of drugs in the body. Knowing these two concepts will make many, many drugs easier to figure out what their side effects will be. This may seem challenging at first, but if you make time for it, I promise it will pay off.
A big part of this is knowing the This means is that you will need to know the difference between SYMPATHETIC and PARASYMPATHETIC actions of drugs in the body. Knowing these two concepts will make many, many drugs easier to figure out what their side effects will be. This may seem challenging at first, but if you make time for it, I promise it will pay off.
Know
these concepts as thoroughly as possible, and why:
o
CNS
depression: mostly focused on HR, RR, Reflexes, and a depressed level of
consciousness
o
The
RAAS feedback system
o
Sympathetic
vs. parasympathetic, aka (though not perfectly interchangeably) Anticholinergic
vs. cholinergic
o
Giving
a drug on an empty stomach usually means 1h before or 2h after meals
o
Drugs
are often metabolized by the liver,
and excreted by the kidneys. This
means, if you have poorly functioning kidneys, drugs won’t be excreted, and
will build up in the blood = toxicity!
·
An example of
thinking of the Mechanism of action:
Many
bronchodilators work by activating
the sympathetic nervous system
(thus, this is their MOA). What does that even mean?
o
Well,
sympathetic=fight or flight. If you were being chased by a T-Rex, you'd need a
lot of what? SUGAR (glucose) and OXYGEN. So the bronchodilators will DILATE the
bronchial airway smooth muscle, letting more O2 in.
o
So
think: if it affects the sympathetic
nervous system, what will that look like?
§
An
INCREASED HR, NERVOUSNESS, SWEATING, and dry mouth, potentially raising blood
sugar, amongst other things.
§
So,
if you are totally lost on a test question about a bronchodilator, know that it
likely activates the sympathetic (fight or fight) nervous system, so think of
what that may cause.
·
READ THE CHAPTERS
IN LEHNE ABOUT THE SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, and
ACETYLCHOLINE.
This stuff will come in VERY handy throughout your education, especially when studying cardiac, respiratory, and nervous system. So, especially Adult health 1 and 2.
This stuff will come in VERY handy throughout your education, especially when studying cardiac, respiratory, and nervous system. So, especially Adult health 1 and 2.
·
Again,
especially AH1 and 2, but for everyone else as well… basically:
Parasympathetic=CHOLINERGIC.
Sympathetic=anticholinergic (sometimes listed as
“sympathomimetic…” think: “mimes, or mimics, the sympathetic response)
This means it
will either activate or suppression of acetylcholine
(“chol”). Read Lehne, and understand what happens in different systems
when Acetylcholine is allowed to work, or inversely, when it is inhibited.
Focus on the
basics of what this means…for example, parasympathetic
(cholinergic) generally means it will increase secretions or GI motility, lower
the heart and blood pressure, and generally stimulate the “rest and digest”
system (thus, potentially causing diarrhea).
Sympathetic is basically the opposite; it has a more stimulating, drying effect on the body. Sympathetic acting drugs are particularly good for increasing the blood pressure or heart rate, constricting blood vessels, and for drying up secretions (constricts vessels to stop runny nose, for example).
Again, READ LEHNE!
Sympathetic is basically the opposite; it has a more stimulating, drying effect on the body. Sympathetic acting drugs are particularly good for increasing the blood pressure or heart rate, constricting blood vessels, and for drying up secretions (constricts vessels to stop runny nose, for example).
Again, READ LEHNE!
REMEMBER EVOLVE HAS A FREE LINK TO LEHNE AND CHAPTER QUESTIONS!!!
Great LINK:
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