Untitled Quiz

Respiratory Medications

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl):

  • Used for: allergies, colds, Parkinson's disease, motion sickness, and insomnia.
  • Administration: take at night, avoid alcohol.
  • Side effects: drowsiness, CNS stimulation (especially in children), dry mouth, tachycardia, and low blood pressure. Photosensitivity is also a possible side effect.
  • Contraindicated in: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), glaucoma, and GI blockages.

• Fluticasone:

  • Used for: rhinitis, asthma, and nasal congestion.
  • Administration: intranasal spray twice daily.
  • Onset: 12 hours to 1 day
  • Side effects: nasal irritation and nosebleeds.

• Phenylephrine:

  • Used for: constricting small blood vessels to drain secretions. Often combined with antihistamines.

• Antitussives (Codeine and Hydrocodone):

  • Used for: removing excess secretions and foreign objects, reducing a runny nose and postnasal drip.

• Dextromethorphan:

  • Used for: non-productive coughs.
  • Side effects: drowsiness, headache, and stomach upset.
  • Contraindicated in: children under 6 and those with chronic coughs.

• Albuterol:

  • Used for: short-term treatment of bronchospasm.
  • Administration: short-term, rinse mouth after.
  • Side effects: tachycardia, restlessness, and tremors.
  • Contraindicated in individuals with serious heart conditions.

Other Medications

• Ipratropium:

  • Used for: severe asthma exacerbations
  • Administration: inhaled or intranasal.
  • Side effects: cough, dry nose, and hoarseness.

• Methylxanthines:

  • Used for: chronic Asthma management (bronchodilators)
  • Effects: nausea and vomiting; CNS stimulation.
  • Long-term use may not be responsive to beta agonists or corticosteroids

• Corticosteroids:

  • Used for: asthma management
  • Administration: inhaled or oral administration.

• Leukotriene Modifiers:

  • Used for: asthma prophylaxis.
  • Side effects: headache, cough, nasal congestion, and gastrointestinal upset (GI upset).

• Montelukast:

  • Used for: asthma prophylaxis, exercise-induced bronchospasm, and allergic rhinitis.
  • Administration: taken orally 2 hours before exertion or activity.
  • Side effects: headache, suicidal ideation, hallucinations and aggression, and depression.

• Coagulation Modifiers (Heparin):

  • Used for: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE); used to prevent blood clots.
  • High-risk drug; two-nurse verification required, correct rate and dose important.
  • Effects: bleeding, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
  • Contraindicated in: current internal bleeding, recent trauma, and intracranial hemorrhage.
  • Interactions with other anticoagulants, NSAIDs, aspirin, nicotine, digoxin, ginger, garlic, ginkgo, and green tea.
  • Reversal agent: Protamine Sulfate.

• Warfarin:

  • Oral anticoagulant. Used for stroke and heart attack.
  • INR Therapeutic range: 2-3
  • Long term use is required in situations such as prosthetic heart valves.
  • Contraindicated in: recent injuries involving blood or an active bleeding issue.
  • Interactions: NSAIDs, antidepressants, steroids, vitamin K, and ginkgo.
  • Reversal agent: Vitamin K

• Clopidogrel:

  • Anti-platelet medication. Used in situations like heart attacks, strokes and coronary bypass procedure.

• Fibrinolytics (tPA/alteplase):

  • Used for: Myocardial Infarction (MI), Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA), Pulmonary Embolism (PE), clearing IV catheters.
  • Administered within 4 hours of stroke symptoms/clot formation.

• Diuretics (Furosemide/Lasix):

  • Used for: heart failure.
  • Administration: intravenous or oral.
  • Effects: hypokalemia, dehydration, low blood pressure, and ototoxicity.

• Hydrochlorothiazide:

  • Used for: high blood pressure, edema, and heart failure.
  • Side effects: hyponatremia and hypokalemia
  • Interactions: NSAIDs, Digoxin and Carbamazepine.

• Spironolactone:

  • Used for: mild hypertension and edema.
  • administration: with food
  • Side effects: hyperkalemia and gynecomastia.
  • Interactions: Aspirin and ACE inhibitors (increase potassium).

• Mannitol:

  • Used for: reducing intracranial pressure in cerebral edema or maintained urine flow in prolonged surgeries or acute kidney injury.

• Losartan (ARB):

  • Used for: high blood pressure.
  • Side effects: hypoglycemia, dizziness, angioedema, and acute kidney injury.
  • Contraindications: fetal injury/death.
  • Interactions: NSAIDs, potassium supplements, and other antihypertensives.

• Clonidine:

  • Used for: decreasing outflow of CNS to heart and arterioles.
  • Side effects: hemolytic anemia, leukopenia, lupus, and thrombocytopenia

• Carvedilol:

  • Used for: high blood pressure and decreasing heart failure.
  • Contraindications: cardiogenic shock and severe heart failure.

• ACE Inhibitors:

  • Used for: high blood pressure, heart failure.
  • Side effects: persistent cough, angioedema, hyperkalemia.

• Hydralazine:

  • Used for: high blood pressure and heart failure. It dilates blood vessels.
  • Side effects: headache, reflex tachycardia, and flushing.
  • Contraindications: angina, rheumatic mitral valve, and lupus.

• Procainamide:

  • Sodium channel blocker, and is used for abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Side effects: hypotension, headache, and CNS effects. Black box warning: lupus-like syndrome, agranulocytosis, bone marrow suppression, and neutropenia / thrombocytopenia.
  • Contraindications: AV blocks, heart failure

• Propranolol:

  • Beta blocker, used for high blood pressure, angina, and prevention of heart failure.
  • Reduces portal hypertension, esophageal varices, tachycardia.

• Amiodarone:

  • Used for: various abnormal heart rhythms (V-tach, atrial dysrhythmias).
  • Side effects: pulmonary toxicity, increased liver function tests (LFTs), and thyroid problems.
  • Contraindications: bradycardia, AV block, and cardiogenic shock.

• Verapamil:

  • Used to stabilize abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Side effects: headache, flushed skin, constipation, low blood pressure, and bradycardia
  • Contraindications: heart blocks, and sick sinus syndrome.

• Digoxin:

  • Used for: certain types of abnormal atrial heart rhythms.
  • Side effects: nausea, vomiting, headache, and visual disturbances.

• Lisinopril:

  • Used for heart failure and high blood pressure.
  • Side effects: dry cough, angioedema, headache, dizziness, and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing).

• Metoprolol:

  • Used to decrease heart workload, heart rate, and helps in conditions such as angina and high blood pressure.

• Digoxin:

  • Used to treat certain irregular heartbeats.
  • Side effects: potentially problematic side effects, potentially fatal if taken incorrectly.
  • Interactions with other medications need to be taken into account.

• Procainamide,

  • Used to stop irregular heartbeats.
  • Side effects: low blood pressure, headache, Central Nervous system (CNS) effects.
  • Contraindications: abnormal heart block and heart failure.

• Milrinone:

  • Uses: to increase heart pumping strength, and is often used in cases of heart failure.
  • Side effects: cardiac dysrhythmias and low blood pressure.

• Nitroglycerin:

  • Uses: to reduce or dilate blood vessels, often used to relieve angina (chest pain).
  • Side Effects: low blood pressure, headache, and reflex tachycardia.
  • Contraindications: low blood pressure, and increased intracranial pressure (ICP).

• Diltiazem:

  • Uses: to treat high blood pressure and chest pain. Can be used to treat abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Side effects: headache and lightheadedness
  • Contraindications: AV heart blockage and sick sinus syndrome.

• Atorvastatin:

  • Uses: to reduce risk of heart attack or stroke in people with high cholesterol.
  • Side Effects: gastrointestinal upset, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown).
  • Contraindications: severe liver issues, and allergic reactions.

• Cholestyramine:

  • Used to lower cholesterol levels.
  • Side effects: constipation, bloating, and gas.
  • Contraindications: complete blockage of the bile duct.

• Ezetimibe:

  • Used to lower LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels.
  • Side effects: nasopharyngitis, muscle aches, upper respiratory infections, diarrhea.

• Niacin:

  • B-Complex Vitamin; used for lowering VLDL cholesterol.
  • Side effects: redness of the skin, flushing, nausea, excess gas (flatulence), and diarrhea.

• Decongestants:

  • Used for: relieving nasal congestion.
  • Side effects: increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and anxiety.
  • Examples: pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine.

• Antihistamines:

  • Used to treat allergic reactions.
  • Short-acting and sedating.
  • Long-acting are non-sedating.

• Expectorants:

  • Used for: thinning bronchial secretions.