NAME OF DRUG MECHANISM OF INDICATION CONTRAINDICATION SIDE EFFECTS/ NURSING

ACTION AND CAUTION ADVERSE EFFECTS RESPONSIBILITIES

Generic Name: Acts as the major Treatment, • Acute dehydration • CNS: Chills, • Review patient’s
Potassium Chloride cation in prevention of • Addison’s disease confusion, fever, medical history
Dosage: 2 tabs intracellular fluid, hypokalemia when (untreated) hyponatremic before administering
Frequency: TID activating many necessary to avoid • Concurrent use with encephalopathy potassium chloride,
Route: Oral enzymatic chloride or amiloride or (with use of high because there are
Therapeutic Class: reactions essential acid/base triamterene concentration of many conditions
Electrolyte replacement for physiologic imbalance. (potassium potassium that may predispose
Pharmacologic class: processes, chloride), or chloride), paralysis, patient to develop
Electrolyte cation including nerve potassium-sparing paresthesia, hyperkalemia and
impulse diuretics (all forms weakness increased sensitivity
transmission and of potassium) • CV: Arrhythmias, to potassium.
cardiac and • Crush syndrome asystole, • Administer oral
skeletal muscle • Disorders that may bradycardia, potassium with or
contraction. delay drug passing cardiac arrest, immediately after
Potassium also through GI tract chest pain, ECG meals.
helps • Heat cramps changes, • Mix potassium
maintain • Hyperkalemia peripheral edema, chloride for oral
electroneutrality in ventricular solution or
• Hypersensitivity to
cells by controlling fibrillation potassium
potassium salts or
exchange of
their components • EENT: Throat pain gluconate elixir in
intracellular and when swallowing cold water, orange
• Peptic ulcer disease
extracellular ions. It
• Renal impairment • GI: Abdominal juice, tomato juice
also helps maintain pain; bloody stools; (if patient isn’t
normal renal with azotemia or
oliguria diarrhea; sodium restricted),
function and acid– flatulence; GI or apple juice, and
base • Severe hemolytic
bleeding, stir for 1 full minute
balance. anemia
obstruction, before
• UTI
perforation, or administering.
ulceration; nausea; • Be aware that liquid
vomiting form of oral
• RESP: Dyspnea, potassium is
pulmonary edema prescribed for
(with high patients with
concentration of delayed gastric
potassium chloride) emptying,
• SKIN: Rash esophageal
• Other: Abdominal compression, or
pain; bloody stools; intestinal
diarrhea; obstruction or
 flatulence; GI stricture, as well as
bleeding, patients with
• obstruction, dysphagia or
perforation, or swallowing
ulceration; nausea; disorders, to
vomiting decrease the risk of
tissue damage from
solid forms of
potassium that may
remain in contact
with the
gastrointestinal
mucosa for a
prolonged period of
time.
• Administer tablet
forms of potassium
with food to help
prevent gastric
irritation. Monitor
patient receiving
tablet forms of
potassium for
abdominal pain or
distention,
gastrointestinal
bleeding, or severe
vomiting, as this
may indicate GI
obstruction,
perforation, or
ulceration and
should be reported
immediately.
Generic Name: Increases levels of To treat • Cardiac • CNS: Paresthesia • Store at room
Calcium Carbonate intracellular and hyperphosphatemia resuscitation with (parenteral form) temperature, and
Dosage: 1000g/tab 1 extracellular risk of existing • CV: Hypotension, protect from heat,
tab calcium, which is digitalis toxicity or irregular heartbeat moisture, and direct
Frequency: BID needed to presence of (parenteral form) light. Don’t freeze.
Route: Oral maintain ventricular • GI: Nausea or • Monitor serum
Therapeutic Class: homeostasis, fibrillation, vomiting calcium level, as
Antacid, especially in the concurrent use of (parenteral form) ordered, and
antihypocalcemic, nervous and calcium • SKIN: Diaphoresis, evaluate therapeutic
antihypermagnesemic, musculoskeletal supplements, flushing, or response by
antihyperphosphatemic, systems. hypercalcemia, sensation of assessing for
calcium replacement, Also plays a role in hypersensitivity to warmth (parenteral Chvostek’s and
cardiotonic normal cardiac and calcium salts or form) Trousseau’s signs,
Pharmacologic class: renal function, their components, • Other: which shouldn’t
Calcium salts respiration, hypophosphatemia, Hypercalcemia; appear.
coagulation, renal calculi. injection-site • Be aware that
and cell membrane burning, pain, rash, calcium chloride
and capillary or redness injection contains
permeability. Helps (parenteral form) three times as much
regulate the calcium per milliliter
release and as calcium
storage of gluconate injection.
neurotransmitters
and hormones.
Oral forms also
neutralize or buffer
stomach acid to
relieve discomfort
caused by
hyperacidity.
Generic Name: Acts to normalize To prevent iron • Hemochromatosis • CNS: Dizziness, • Give iron tablets
Ferrous Sulfate RBC production by deficiency based • Hemolytic anemias fever, headache, and capsules with a
Dosage: 1 tab binding with on recommended • Hemosiderosis paresthesia, full glass of juice or
Frequency: BID hemoglobin or by daily allowances • Hypersensitivity to syncope water. Don’t crush
Route: Oral being iron salts or their • CV: Chest pain, enteric-coated
Therapeutic Class: oxidized and stored components hypertension, tablets or open
Antianemic, nutritional as hemosiderin or • Other anemic hypotension, capsules.
supplement aggregated ferritin conditions unless tachycardia • Dilute and
Pharmacologic class: in accompanied by • EENT: Metallic administer with a
Hematinic reticuloendothelial iron deficiency taste, tooth straw or place drops
cells of the bone discoloration in back of patient’s
marrow, liver, and • GI: Abdominal throat, because iron
spleen. Iron is an cramps, solutions may stain
essential constipation, teeth. Mix the elixir
component of epigastric pain, form in water. Fer-
hemoglobin, nausea, stool In-Sol Drops or
myoglobin, and • discoloration, Syrup may be
several enzymes, vomiting mixed with juice or
including catalase, • HEME: water.
cytochromes, Hemochromatosis,
 and peroxidase. hemolysis, • Know that to
Iron is needed for hemosiderosis maximize
catecholamine • RESP: Dyspnea, absorption, iron
metabolism and wheezing salts should be
normal • SKIN: Diaphoresis, given 1 hour before
neutrophil function. flushing, pruritus, or 2 hours after
rash, urticaria meals. If GI irritation
• Other: Anaphylaxis occurs, give with or
(with I.V. just after meals.
administration), • Protect liquid form
angioedema, from freezing.
injection-site • Be aware that at
discoloration usual dosages,
serum hemoglobin
level usually
normalizes in about
2 months unless
blood loss
continues.
Treatment may last
for 3 to 6 months to
help replenish iron
stores.
• Don’t give antacids,
coffee, dairy
products, eggs, tea,
or whole-grain
breads or cereals
within 1 hour before
or 2 hours after iron.
• Remember that
unabsorbed iron
turns stool black or
green and can mask
blood in stool.
Check stool for
occult blood, as
ordered.