Information on Common Drugs, Research Paper Example

Colace

Generic drug name: Docusate Sodium Trade Name: Colace

Major Drug Classification: laxative, stool softener

Normal Dosage Range: 50-200mg

Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Water is drawn into the stool. Thus softening the stool and achieving ease in the bowel movement

Uses: treats occasional constipation

Common Side Effects: cramps, abnormal taste in mouth, diarrhea, nausea

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): hepatotoxicity

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Likely to interact with mineral oils. Caution is advised if on a low-salt diet. Do not take with any drugs containing phenolphthalein.

Nursing Implications: The effects are unknown and it is advised to ask physician first.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Assess patient’s diet. Constipation can usually be prevented with a high-fiber diet, drinking fluids, and exercise.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Follow directions on the product package unless otherwise directed by doctor. Take medication by mouth with eight ounces of water or juice.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Colace enhances the incorporation of water and fat into stool, causing the stool to soften.

Additional Patient Education: _Decrease dose or stop taking if diarrhea develops. Use medication only when needed. Do not use for more than one week unless directed by doctor.

Reason for use with this patient: This medication is to be used as a stool softener to relieve constipation.

Patient Response: Patient should respond favorably within one to three days, relieving constipation.

Diamox

Generic drug name: Acetazolamide Trade Name: Diamox

Major Drug Classification: Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor

Normal Dosage Range: 500-1000mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Decreases the secretion of aqueous humor and results in a drop in intraocular pressure, a reaction considered desirable in cases of glaucoma and even in certain non-glaucomatous conditions

Uses: Decreases headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath

Common Side Effects: Dry mouth, hearing loss, abdominal pain, sore throat, muscle cramps, rash, itching, fever, blurred vision, headache, and fatigue

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Cirrhosis, hyperchloremic acidosis, renal dysfunction, and suprarenal gland failure

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: May have serious interactions with cisapride and methenamine. Use caution when taking aspirin, avanafil, azitnib, balsalazide, bearberry, benzphetamine, choline magnesium trisalicylate, dextroamphetamine, diflunisal, ephedrine, flecainide, ivacaftor, lisdexamfetamine, lomitapide, lurasidone, memantine, mesalamine, mexiletine, nitroglycerin rectal, ospemifene, pseudophedrine, quinidine, salcyclates, salsalate, sevelamer, sulfalazine, tadalafil, topiramate, trientine, willow bark. Minor side effects may occur with abobotulinumtoxina, acetaminophen, amobarital, atracurium, biotin, butabarbital, butalbital, cistracuium, cyanocobalamin, dexmethylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, ethotoin, fosphentoin, hexobarbital, incobotulinumtoxina, levocarnitine, mephobarbital, methylphenidate, onabotulinumtoxina, pancuronium, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, rapacuronium, rimabotulinnumtoxinb, rocuronium, ruxolinib, sage, secobarbital, succinylcholine, tubocurarine, and vecuronium.

Nursing Implications: Acetazolamide enters breast milk and should be avoided while nursing.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Make sure that the patient does not have hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hyperchloremic acidosis, hypersensitivity to acetazolamide or sulfa, liver disease, renal disease, cirrhosis, or chronic, noncongestive angle-clusre glaucoma. Use with caution with COPD, emphysema, concomitant high-dose aspirin, diabetes, respiratory acidosis, and hepatic impairment.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Take orally one to four times per day, as directed by physician. If taking for altitude sickness, patients may take one to two days before ascent.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective):Acetazolamide is a diuretic so helps to reduce the amount of inflammation and edema.

Additional Patient Education: If there is renal impairment, with CrCl 10-50 mL/min, administer no more frequently than q12hr.

Reason for use with this patient: The patient began taking medication one day before beginning a hike on a mountain.

Patient Response: The patient was able to enjoy the hike with no altitude sickness.

Lasix

Generic drug name: Furosemide

Trade Name: Lasix

Major Drug Classification: diuretic, loop, cardiovascular agent

Normal Dosage Range: 20-80mg

Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Blocking the absorption of sodium and chloride in the kidney tubules causing a profound increase in urine output.

Uses: Treats edema and hypertension.

Common Side Effects: Hyperuricemia, hypomagnesemia, loss of appetite, spasm of bladder

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Orthostatic hypotension, drug hypersensitivity syndrome, pancreatitis, agranulocytosis, anaphylaxis

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Sucralfate, cholestyramine, and colestipol can decrease absorption. If taking these drugs, separate from furosemide by at least two hours. Because this may lower potassium levels, add foods rich in potassium, such as bananas. Furosemide may increase sensitivity to sun, so avoid prolonged exposure, tanning booths, and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing. Limit alcoholic beverages. May interact negatively with ethacrynic acid and lithium may negatively interact.

Nursing Implications: Should be avoided when nursing as it enters breast milk.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Furosemide is a powerful diuretic and overdose can cause severe water and salt/mineral loss. Patients must inform their physician immediately if they become thirsty, confused, or develop muscle cramps or weakness. Tell the doctor if there is a history of kidney or liver problems, inability to make urine, gout, or lupus. Furosemide is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to furosemide or sulfonamides, anuria, concomitant ethacrynic acid therapy. Caution is advised with patients with diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, liver disease, and renal impairment. Patients with hypoproteinemia may diminish efficacy.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Take orally without food once or twice a day. Avoid four hours before bedtime to prevent waking upon sleep. Measure the dosage with the device that comes with prescription and do not use a household spoon to avoid incorrect dosing. Dosage is based on condition, age, and response. Children’s dosage is based on weight.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Furosemide acts on the kidneys to promote urination.

Additional Patient Education: Kidney tests and blood mineral levels should be periodically performed.

Reason for use with this patient: This drug is to be used to reduce edema-associated hypertension.

Patient Response: The patient responded favorably to the drug. Taking the advice of their physician, the patient would incorporate healthy foods to boost potassium, such as bananas and coconut water.

Mucinex

Generic drug name: Guaifenesin Trade Name: Mucinex

Major Drug Classification: Expectorant

Normal Dosage Range: 600-1200 mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Increases the volume and reducing the viscosity of secretions in the trachea and bronchi

Uses: Treats cough that is caused by colds, flu, or other conditions. Guaifenesin is an expectorant that loosens mucus in your lungs.

Common Side Effects: Nausea and vomiting

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Serious allergic reaction: rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, and trouble breathing.

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Use is contraindicated when taking iobenguane I 123, isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, selegiline transdermal, and tranylcypromine.

Nursing Implications: Effects are unknown, and it is to be used with caution.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Do not use in children younger than six. Guaifenesin does not cure the common cold, rather it relieves symptoms. Take orally every four hours and with fluids. Let doctor known if cough persists longer than seven days and is accompanied by fever, sore throat, rash, or persistent headache as these symptoms may indicate a more serious medical condition.

Patient teaching at time of administration: There is an extended release to this expectorant and the patient is not to exceed four tablets in 24 hours.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): There is no evidence that Guaifenesin treats the cold; rather it reduces cough caused by congestion by thinning the mucus in the lungs.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: The patient used Mucinex to relieve cough.

Patient Response: Though cough was relieved, it persisted after a week and the patient called their doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis.

Nicoderm CQ

Generic drug name: Nicotine Trade Name: Nicoderm CQ

Major Drug Classification: Cholinergic

Normal Dosage Range: Place the patch on the upper arm Route of Administration: transdermal

Drug Action: Smoking cessation adjunct, nicotine acts as an agonist at the nicotinic cholinergic receptors at the autonomic ganglia

Uses: Helps individuals quit smoking by replacing the nicotine in cigarettes.

Common Side Effects: Skin irritation, dizziness, headache, insomnia, increased blood pressure, anorexia, acne, tachycardia, diarrhea, migraine, dyspepsia, hiccups, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and cough.

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Cardiac dysrhythmia, hypertension, and immune hypersensitivity

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Tobacco and alcohol should be avoided.

Nursing Implications: Though nicotine is more harmful with second-hand smoke, this product should be avoided as it can increase infant heart rate.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Nicotine is contraindicated in patients who have a hypersensitivity to nicotine or menthol, those who are recovering from a myocardial infarction, life-threatening arrhythmias, angina pectoris, temperomandibular joint disease, and in nonsmokers. Caution should be used of people with coronary artery disease, serious cardiac arrhythmias, oropharyngeal inflammation, peptic ulcer disease, esophagitis, hypertension, insulin dependent diabetes, pheochromocytoma, hyperthyroidism, vasopastic disease, or liver problems.

Patient teaching at time of administration:

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Nicotine passes through the skin into the blood stream. As the body adjusts to not smoking, the strength of the patch is decreased over a few weeks until use is stopped.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: Used to help patient with smoking cessation.

Patient Response: The patient responded well with the physical symptoms, though they had difficulty with the emotional commitment.

Norvasc

Generic drug name: Amlodipine Besylate Trade Name: Norvasc

Major Drug Classification: calcium channel blocker

Normal Dosage Range: 5-10mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Blocking the transmembrane influx of calcium ions into cardiac and vascular smooth muscle

Uses: Treats hypertension or angina. A lower blood pressure will reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack

Common Side Effects: Flushing, peripheral edema, abdominal pain, dizziness, and fatigue

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Acute myocardial infarction, angina, angioedema. Edema may develop within two to three weeks after starting therapy.

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Contraindicated with dantrolene. Serious side effects may occur with diltiazem, ivacaftor, nefazodone, and simvastatin.

Nursing Implications: Not recommended in nursing mothers.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Use with caution in congestive heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Take orally once per day until otherwise instructed.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Amlodipine Besylate inhibits the transmembrane influx of calcium ions across the membranes of heart cells and vascular smooth muscles cell without altering the serum calcium levels. This inhibits cardiac and vascular smooth muscle contraction, dilating main coronary and systemic arteries.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: The patient was taking this for hypertension.

Patient Response: After taking this drug, the patient’s blood pressure decreased.

Pepcid

Generic drug name: Famotidine Trade Name: Pepcid

Major Drug Classification: Gastric Acid Secretion Inhibitor

Normal Dosage Range: 10-20mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Inhibits the concentration and volume of gastric secretion

Uses: Treat ulcers of the stomach or intestine

Common Side Effects: Constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, and headache.

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Stevens-Johnson syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, anaphylaxis, seizure, nosocomial peneuonia. Contraindicated with hypersensitivity to famotidine or other H2-receptor antagonist. Use with caution for those with renal or hepatic impairment. Serious side effects may occur with atazanavir, dapsone, dasatinib, delavirdie, digoxin, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, nimodipine, nisoldipine, nitrendipine, and ponatinib.

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Famotidine reduces the acid in the stomach and may interfere with the absorption of drugs such as atazanavir, dasatinib, delavirdine, and azole antifungals.

Nursing Implications: Recommended to avoid while breastfeeding.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: The chewable form contains aspartame. For those with phenylketonuria, use with caution.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Take one tablet or capsule with a glass of water. Do not chew unless using a chewable tablet. Take 15-60 minutes before eating or drinking foods or beverages which may cause indigestion. Do not take more than two tablets in 24 hours or more than 14 days in a row.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Works as an H2 histamine blocker by reducing the amount of acid in the stomach.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: The patient was having unremitting heartburn.

Patient Response: The patient noticed that after taking Pepcid, the heartburn was reduced; the patient noticed that his tolerance increased to the drug if he took it too often.

Serevent

Generic drug name: Salmeterol Trade Name: Serevent

Major Drug Classification: Anti-inflammatory/bronchodilator combination

Normal Dosage Range: 2 Oral inhalations 500/50 mcg Route of Administration oral inhalations PO

Drug Action: Relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle an inhibition of the release of mediators of instantaneous hypersensitivity from mast cells.

Uses: Treats asthma, bronchitis, and similar breathing problems. This medicine is a bronchodilator and breaks up mucus secretions, expanding lung capacity.

Common Side Effects: Nausea, oral candidiasis, musculoskeletal pain, dizziness, headache, bronchitis, cough, upper respiratory infection, paradoxical bronchospasm, and laryngeal spasm.

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Atrial fibrillation, cardiac dysrhythmia, anaphylaxis, osteoporosis, seizure, edema of pharynx, and asthma-related death.

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Contraindicated with darunavir, fosamprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir. Serious side effects may include and should be monitored with amitriptyline, amoxapine, boceprevir, clomipramine, desipramine, dosulepin, doxepin, imipramine, isocarboxazid, ivacaftor, linezolid, lofepramine, maprotiline, mianserin, nortriptyline, phenelzine, protriptyline, telaprevir, tranylcypromine, trazonone, and trimipramine.

Nursing Implications: Use with caution. Recommended an alternative treatment be used while nursing.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Because of its association with asthma-related death, once control over asthma is achieved, the patient should be assessed and drug should be discontinued. This is not for acute asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Salmeterol should not be administered more than twice a day.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Always activate and use device in a level, horizontal position. Inhale by mouth, twice a day in the morning and evening, 12 hours apart. Do not exhale into the device, use with spacer, or wash the mouthpiece. Patients should not deviate from the recommended dosage.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Evidence suggests that this drug creates 13 out of 13,176 deaths on Salmeterol as opposed to 3 out of 13,179 on placebo.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: The patient was not responding to inhaled corticosteroids.

Patient Response: Once the patient’s symptoms were controlled, their doctor switched them back to their corticosteroids.

Toprol XL

Generic drug name: Metoprolol Trade Name: Toprol XL

Major Drug Classification: beta-blocker

Normal Dosage Range: 25-50mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Competitive antagonism of catecholamines at peripheral and cardiac adrenergic receptors, reduced sympathetic outflow, and suppression of renin activity.

Uses: Treats hypertension, angina, and lowers the risk of repeated heart attack.

Common Side Effects: Bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, pruritus, constipation, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, depression, dyspnea, and wheezing.

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Wheezing (bronchospasm)

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Fingolimod may interact with this drug. Medications such as lumefantrine, propafenone, quinidine, SSRI antidepressants, and St. John’s Wart may affect the removal of metoprolol from the body. Serious reactions may occur if combined with acebutolol, artemether, atenolol, betazolol, bisoprolol, carvedilol, celiprolol, chlorpromazine, esmolol, fluoxetine, labetalol, lumenfantrine, nadolol, nebivolol, paroxetine, penbutolol, pindolol,quinidine, sotalol, thioridazine, thiothixene, and timolol.

Nursing Implications: Because the drug is concentrated in breast, milk it may be cautiously used during nursing.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Abrupt withdrawal may exacerbate ischemic heart disease, angina, hypersensitivity to catecholamines, and myocardial infarction. It is contraindicated with sinus bradycardia, secondary and tertiary heart block, cardiogenic shock, sick sinus syndrome, severe peripheral vascular disease, pheochromocytoma, acute myocardial infarction, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure. Do not take if on other beta blockers. Take with caution in diabetics, arrhythmias, circulation problems, muscle disease, liver disease, and respiratory problems.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Taken orally with meals. Swallow tablet whole and do not abruptly discontinue use.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective):

This drug blocks the response to beta-adrenergic stimulation and is considered to be selective for beta1 receptors at low doses, with little or no effect on beta2 receptors.

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: The patient took this medication to reduce angina.

Patient Response: Both angina and hypertension were reduced.

Isoptin

Generic drug name: Verapamil Trade Name: Isoptin

Major Drug Classification: calcium channel blocker

Normal Dosage Range: 2 to 5 mg Route of Administration: PO

Drug Action: Blocks the transmembrane influx of calcium ions into arterial smooth muscles including conductible and contractile myocardial cells.

Uses: Treats hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias.

Common Side Effects: Edema, constipation, dizziness, headache, pharyngitis, and influenza like symptoms.

Adverse Reactions (contraindications): Atrioventricular block, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary edema.

Food, Herbal, and Drug Interactions: Slows AV conduction with beta blockers and may increase toxicity with CYP3A4 inhibitors. Verapamil should not be used with dofetilide due to the potential for a serious reaction. Contraindicated with astemizole, cisapride, dantrolene, lomitapide, pimozide, and terfenadine. Use with caution when taking atorvastatin, erythromycin, phenobarbital, rifamycins, ritonavir, St. John’s Wart. Verapamil may slow the removal of medications such as busipirone, carbamazepine, colchicine, eplerenone, midazolam, drugs for organ transplant, statin drugs, temsirolimus, theophylline, tizanidine, and triazolam.

Nursing Implications: Though the American Pediatric Association reports that Verapamil is compatible with nursing, the manufacturer warns against it.

Assessments required prior to administration and related decision making: Use of Verapamil is contraindicated with hypersensitivity to calcium channel blockers, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure, symptomatic hypotension, sick sinus syndrome, and secondary and tertiary AC block. The drug should be used with caution with patients with aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, primary AV block, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypotension, myasthenia gravis, hepatic or renal disorders, and concurrent beta-blocker therapy. Verapamil may be toxic in patients under six years old.

Patient teaching at time of administration: Verapamil may be taken with or without food and may require one week to obtain full benefit from the drug.

Evaluation (data that indicates drug is effective): Verapamil inhibits the transmembrane influx of calcium ions across membranes of myocardial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Serum calcium concentrations are not changed, resulting in inhibition of cardiac and vascular smooth muscle contraction, dilating the main coronary and systemic arteries. This blocks the slow inward calcium current responsible for sinus and AV nodal depolarization

Additional Patient Education:

Reason for use with this patient: Patient was taking this drug for hypertension.

Patient Response: Blood pressure decreased and patient noticed that angina reduced.