Acetaminophen

DRUG STUDY
Medication Mechanism of Indication Side Effects Contraindication/Drug to Adverse Effects Nursing
Action Drug Interaction Consideration/Patient
Teaching

Generic name: Thought to • Mild pain or - Red, peeling, Contraindications: CNS: Nursing Consideration:
Acetaminophen produce fever or blistering • Contraindicated in - Agitation (IV) • Use caution when
analgesia by • Mild to skin. patients hypersensitive - Anxiety prescribing, preparing,
Brand name: inhibiting moderate - Rash. to drug. - Fatigue and administering IV
Tylenol prostaglandin pain; mild to - Hives. • Use cautiously in - Headache acetaminophen to
and other moderate patient with any type of - Insomnia avoid dosing errors
Drug class: substances that - Itching. - Pyrexia leading to accidental
pain with liver disease, G6PD
Para-aminophenol sensitize pain adjunctive - Swelling of deficiency, chronic CV: overdose and death.
derivatives receptors. Drug opioid the face, malnutrition, severe - HTN • Consider reducing total
may relieve fever analgesics; throat, hypovolemia - Hypotension daily dose and
Dosage: 325 mg through central fever tongue, lips, (dehydration, blood - Peripheral edema increasing dosing
action in the eyes, hands, loss), or severe renal - Periorbital edema intervals in patients
Frequency: every 6 hypothalamic feet, ankles, impairment (CrCl of - Tachycardia (IV) with hepatic or renal
hours heat-regulating or lower legs. 30Ml/minute or less) GI: impairment.
center. - Hoarseness. • Use cautiously in - Nausea
Route: Oral - Difficulty patients with long-term - Vomiting Patient Teaching:
breathing or alcohol use because - Abdominal pain • Tell parents to consult
swallowing. therapeutic doses - Diarrhea prescriber before
cause hepatotoxicity in - Constipation (IV) giving drug to children
these patients. Chronic GU: younger than age 2.
alcoholics shouldn’t - Oliguria (IV) • Advise parents that
take more than 2 g of Hematologic: drug is only for short-
acetaminophen every - Hemolytic anemia term use; urge them to
24 hours. - Leukopenia consult prescriber if
- Neutropenia giving to infants for
Drug – Drug Interaction: - Pancytopenia longer 3 days, children
• Busulfan: may increase - Anemia for longer than 5 days,
busulfan level Hepatic: or adults for longer
- Jaundice than 10 days.
• Cholestyramine resin: Metabolic: • Tell patient to consult
May decrease - Hypoalbuminemia prescriber for fever
acetaminophen - Hypoglycemia lasting longer than 3
absorption - Hypokalemia days or recurrent
• Isoniazid: May increase - Hypervolemia fever.
risk of acetaminophen - Hypomagnesemia • Caution patient to
adverse effects - Hypophosphatemia contact health care
• Lamotrigine: Prolonged Musculoskeletal: provider if signs and
acetaminophen use - Muscle spasms symptoms of liver
may decrease - Extremity pain damage occur.
lamotrigine level Respiratory: • Tell breastfeeding
• Dasatinib: May - Abnormal breath patient that drug
enhance hepatotoxic sounds appears in human milk
effects of dasatinib and - Dyspnea in low levels. Drug may
increase - Hypoxia be used safely if
acetaminophen level - Atelectasis therapy is short-term
- Pleural effusion and doesn’t exceed
- Pulmonary edema recommended doses.
- Stridor
- Wheezing
Skin:
- Rash
- Urticaria; infusion-
site pain (IV)
- pruritus