{"id":52,"date":"2019-09-18T16:19:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T16:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.publishdot.com\/nursingpharmacology\/chapter\/1-11-preparing-for-administration\/"},"modified":"2021-12-07T10:51:56","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T10:51:56","slug":"1-11-preparing-for-administration","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.publishdot.com\/nursingpharmacology\/chapter\/1-11-preparing-for-administration\/","title":{"raw":"1.11 Preparing for Administration","rendered":"1.11 Preparing for Administration"},"content":{"raw":"

Monitoring the Effects<\/h2>\nAs medications are administered, the nurse should perform careful patient assessments,\u00a0 trend the assessment results, and monitor for side effects or toxic adverse effects. Drug dosages should be evaluated for potency in action.\u00a0 [pb_glossary id=\"133\"]Potency[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> refers to the amount of the drug required to produce the desired effect.\u00a0 A drug that is highly potent may require only a minimal dose to produce a desired therapeutic effect, whereas a drug that has low potency may need to be given at much higher concentrations to produce the same effect.\u00a0 Consider the example of opioid versus non-opioid medications for pain control.\u00a0 Opioid medications often have a much higher potency in smaller doses to produce pain relief; therefore, the overall dose required to produce a therapeutic effect may be much less than for other analgesics.\n\nThe nurse preparing to administer medications must also be cognizant of drug selectivity and monitor for potential side effects and adverse effects.\u00a0 The [pb_glossary id=\"134\"]selectivity[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> of a drug refers to how readily the drug targets specific cells to produce an intended therapeutic effect.\u00a0 Drugs that are selective will search out target sites to create a drug action, whereas non-selective drugs may impact many different types of cells and tissues, thus potentially causing side effects.\u00a0 \u00a0A [pb_glossary id=\"135\"]side effect[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> occurs when the drug produces effects other than the intended effect.\u00a0 A side effect, although often undesirable, is generally anticipated by the provider and is a known unintended consequence of the medication therapy.\u00a0 Conversely, there are occasional occurrences of unanticipated effects that are dangerous to the patient.\u00a0 These dangerous occurrences are known as [pb_glossary id=\"136\"]adverse effects[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>.\u00a0 Adverse effects are relatively unpredictable, severe, and are reason to discontinue the medication.[footnote]This work is a derivative of Principles of Pharmacology<\/a> by LibreTexts<\/a> licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>.[\/footnote]<\/sup>","rendered":"

Monitoring the Effects<\/h2>\n

As medications are administered, the nurse should perform careful patient assessments,\u00a0 trend the assessment results, and monitor for side effects or toxic adverse effects. Drug dosages should be evaluated for potency in action.\u00a0 Potency<\/a><\/strong> refers to the amount of the drug required to produce the desired effect.\u00a0 A drug that is highly potent may require only a minimal dose to produce a desired therapeutic effect, whereas a drug that has low potency may need to be given at much higher concentrations to produce the same effect.\u00a0 Consider the example of opioid versus non-opioid medications for pain control.\u00a0 Opioid medications often have a much higher potency in smaller doses to produce pain relief; therefore, the overall dose required to produce a therapeutic effect may be much less than for other analgesics.<\/p>\n

The nurse preparing to administer medications must also be cognizant of drug selectivity and monitor for potential side effects and adverse effects.\u00a0 The selectivity<\/a><\/strong> of a drug refers to how readily the drug targets specific cells to produce an intended therapeutic effect.\u00a0 Drugs that are selective will search out target sites to create a drug action, whereas non-selective drugs may impact many different types of cells and tissues, thus potentially causing side effects.\u00a0 \u00a0A side effect<\/a><\/strong> occurs when the drug produces effects other than the intended effect.\u00a0 A side effect, although often undesirable, is generally anticipated by the provider and is a known unintended consequence of the medication therapy.\u00a0 Conversely, there are occasional occurrences of unanticipated effects that are dangerous to the patient.\u00a0 These dangerous occurrences are known as adverse effects<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Adverse effects are relatively unpredictable, severe, and are reason to discontinue the medication.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

  1. This work is a derivative of Principles of Pharmacology<\/a> by LibreTexts<\/a> licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>. ↵<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>
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