Clonidine prescribed for pt

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.

Hi, Y'all,

I need some serious advice. My pt is 19 y/o and weights about 70#. He has Trisomy 9 very rare. Anyway he came home today from the hospital and has an order for clonidine 0.1 mg 3 x a day as needed. I didn't know what that med was and didn't have my med book with me.

I don't have his baseline B/P so I don't know if he is hypertensive. I read that even 0.1mg is considered toxic in children under 12 y/o. I know that he is 19 but I don't know what they base the age on. Is it weight or organ growth?

I need to know ASAP> If it is dangerous for him to take it, I will call his mom and tell her so.

Thanks and eagerly waiting for wise answers.

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Is he taking it for ADHD?

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/pediatrics/hcp/ADHDClonidine.cfm

Edit, nvm, I misread your post.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

Not real familiar with Trisomy 9,...is he in a lot of pain? Read up on this,.they give Clonidine for many, many things bedisdes HTN.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.

That's ok. I just remembered something. This is a new order but he is also taking predinsone [N. O.] and he started to scratch nurses and Mom and pull their hair. They were giving him 4 tsp QD Mom told them no more because he was shaking so bad and was extremely aggetated. They cut it back to 2 tsp QD and we are slowly weaning him off of the prednisone.

Here are his discharge diagnosies:

tracheitis

Influenza B

Severe Actelectis

yeast infection

Does this info help any?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Home Health.
Not real familiar with Trisomy 9,...is he in a lot of pain? Read up on this,.they give Clonidine for many, many things bedisdes HTN.

Trisomy 9 is an extemely rare chromosone disorder. He is not verbal but can "talk" For example, his bottom is raw from severe diarrhea. I put Riley's Butt Cream on it today and he squirmed all over the floor. I know that it hurt him.

As far as being in pain, I don't think he is. Can you list some of the the off label uses fopr clonidide?

Thanks!!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

One use is diabetic diarrhea. He may not be diabetic, but this could be why he's on the drug.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Indications I see state the following:

mild to moderate HTN

severe pain in cancer patients (didn't know that)

Investigational uses:

opioid withdrawal

prevent vascular headaches

tx menopausal symptoms (didn't know that, either)

dysmenorrhea

attention deficit disorder (another surprize)

This was obtained from my Mosby's Nursing Drug Guide, 2006.

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karen,

there is little information about trisomy 9 and use of clonidine.

the webpages that caught my interest, had to be translated.

i only got 86 results when i googled "trisomy 9"+ clonidine.

what i did read, it seems it would be used to help these kids sleep at noc.

here is 1 anecdotal link, from a mom whose child uses it.

http://www.freelists.org/archives/tri-med/03-2007/msg00162.html

leslie

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I am at work, lurking here during our late, boring clinic, and coincidently, I just got an order to administer Clonidine 0.1mg for a hypertensive patient. This is her second dose, first one given by the RN about 40 minutes ago, with no results. I pray this doesn't keep me here all night.

This thread caught my eye, because each time I administer clonidine, it becomes a nightmare...most cases, it is the last patient to be seen, or they wander off, in spite of strict instructions to get the nurse if they leave the area. I heard that once, a patient passed out on a stairwell somewhere. Sigh...darned clonidine...

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clonidine is also used for motor tics

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Clonidine is an alpha-2 receptor agonist. In the central nervous system, the alpha-2 receptors are the inhibitory receptors of the sympathetic nervous system. When alpha-2 receptors are stimulated, it inhibits the release of norepinephrine into the body. With reduced amounts of norepinephrine available at the other sympathetic nervous system receptors (mainly alpha-1), blood vessels will dilate (SVR decreases) and therefore blood pressure decreases.

In addition to its anti-hypertensive effects, clonidine produces sedation, reduces anxiety and promotes analgesia. This is probably why it is being given to your patient.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Other alpha-2 receptor agonists are dexmedetomidine (which is often used in the ICU on ventilated patients) and Alpha-methyldopa.....fyi

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