Assisting with Medications Case Study (PDF)

10 Case Study #4 Ms. Luck is in her 40’s with Long Covid Symptoms. Ms. Luck lives alone and needs assistance with medication administration. She has recently developed Conjunctivitis. As per your agency’s care plan, your DOT is to assist Ms. Luck with her 0800 medications. Salbutamol (Ven...

10 Case Study #4 Ms. Luck is in her 40’s with Long Covid Symptoms. Ms. Luck lives alone and needs assistance with medication administration. She has recently developed Conjunctivitis. As per your agency’s care plan, your DOT is to assist Ms. Luck with her 0800 medications. Salbutamol (Ventolin) MDI 2 puffs Budesonide (Pulmicort) MDI 2 puffs Polysporin (antibiotic) eye drops 1 drop to Right Eye Document on the MAR immediately following. Special Considerations: Give medication with water only Use an Aero Chamber/Spacer for MDI administration Provide oral care after MDI administration Complete the above DOT skills with a partner and then switch. Then complete the questions together and submit: 1. Do you apply pressure to the corner of the eye with eye drops? Why or why not? Yes, I will gently apply pressure to the inner corner of the eye for around 30 to 60 seconds after the eye drops. Applying pressure to the eye corner can prevent the medication from draining into the nasal passage, and let the medication stay in the eye and being absorbed. 2. What part of the eye do you drop the eye drop into when assisting to administer? What about with an eye ointment? - Drop the eye drop into the lower eyelid and ask Ms. Luck to look up when I’m doing this. - With an eye ointment, apply a thin amount of ointment along the inside of the lower eyelid from inner to outer corner. - Ask her to slowly blink in order to spread the dedication evenly in her eye. 3. When assisting with an MDI how long do you wait between puffs of the same medication? 10  11 When assisting with an MDI, I’ll wait for 30-60 seconds between puffs of the same medication. The rationale is to allow a better absorption for the first dose and not to mix the first and second doses together in the eye. 4. What if it is a different medication how long? If it is a different medication, I’ll wait at least 2 to 5 minutes between different inhalers. The reason is to give time for the first medication to have effect before the second medication puffs in. 5. Why would you need to use an Aero Chamber/Spacer when using an MDI? The space helps to deliver the medication to the lungs properly. 6. Should the Aero chamber/Spacer squeal or whistle when the client breaths in? Provide your rationale. - No, the whistling sound indicates the breathing is too fast. - The rational is that a slow, deep breathing can have a better medication absorption into the lungs. 7. Why does the client need to rinse their mouth after using an MDI? - To reduce oral thrush, fungal infection or oral candidiasis. - To reduce dryness and irritation in the mouth and throat. - To wash out the medication stuck in the mouth and throat. 8. Is a lozenge a medication? Explain your answer. - Yes, lozenge can be a medication if it contains medicine. - Lozenge can have a medication ingredient such as pain killer or relievers. - Candy lozenges are not medications because it does not contain medication ingredients. 9. What is the difference between assisting with medications and administering medications? - Assisting with medications is helping the client to take their own medication. - Administering medications is to directly give medication to the client when they are not able to take it by themselves. 11