Aminoglycosides PREGNANCY CATEGORY D Therapeutic Actions Aminoglycosides are antibiotics that are bactericidal. They inhibit protein synthesis in susceptible strains of gram-negative bacteria and appear to disrupt the functional integrity of…
Alpha1-Adrenergic Blockers PREGNANCY CATEGORY C Therapeutic actions Alpha1-adrenergic blockers selectively block postsynaptic alpha1-adrenergic receptors, decreasing sympathetic tone on the vasculature, dilating arterioles and veins, and lowering both supine and standing…
Alkylating Drugs Dangerous Drug PREGNANCY CATEGORY D Therapeutic Actions Alkylating drugs are cytotoxic: They alkylate cellular DNA, interfering with the replication of susceptible cells and causing cell death. Their action…
Nursing Process Guidelines The delivery of medical care is in a constant state of change and sometimes in crisis. The population is aging, resulting in more chronic disease and more…
Patient Safety and Medication Administration Growing numbers of patients—and drugs—bring increased risk of medication errors. Compounding this risk are the tremendous upsurge in the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and…
Behavioral and Problem-Based Care Plans The behaviors and problems addressed in this section may occur in concert with other problems found in this Manual. Some of these problems may be…
Personality Disorders A personality disorder is evidenced by a client’s enduring pattern of thinking, believing, and behaving that deviates markedly from the expectations of his or her culture (APA, 2000)….
Sleep Disorders and Adjustment Disorders Clients with sleep disorders and adjustment disorders are rarely seen in the acute care setting for these diagnoses alone. These clients may be encountered in…
Eating Disorders The care plans in this section deal with maladaptive eating patterns that are long-term conditions: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Clients with eating disorders are often mistakenly believed…
Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders Some clients have difficulty expressing emotions and dealing with interpersonal conflict in a direct manner and may manifest various physical symptoms that are related to emotional…
