Most Frequently Used ED Meds

[SkateBetty]

ED Nurses,

I have started my preceptorship in the ED, and wonder if you can tell me where to find a list (booklet, digital file, anything!) of the most frequently prescribed ED meds? It would help me a lot to review a concise list (Reglan, Solumedrol, etc...) along with purpose, common side-effects and so on.

Thank you!

[CoolhandHutch, MSN, RN]

Obecalp...very strong stuff indeed. Potentiates meperidine, profound effect in drug seekers.

I've given ketoralac to patients where "Toradol never works". Seems to do the trick.

Learn what beta-blockers your docs are fond of...pay close attention to onset/duration of drugs. There's nothing like dropping pressures along with the heart rate.

[MajorDomo]

Most meds varies by hospital, best bet is to check any protocols you might have or the formulary for specific meds. For example during a allergic rx which pump inhibitor is used (Tagament, Pepcid, Zantac).

Besides the individual meds, learn the classes as each med in a class tend to have the same side effects and actions.

Two reference books on meds would be Fast Trax (which has individual modules you can get/update, it is also in a small three ring binder so you can add your specific notes ect...) and if you deal with the pedi population at all, Harriet Lane for dosages (a hint: after buying the book, go to kinkos and have the spine removed and make it spiral bound otherwise the cover and colored pages will fall out in a month.

Hope this helps.

MajorDomo

Instead of Obecalp, our hospital uses nakul, usual dose of 10 fast IVP works, patients feel the effect as the cold flush travels up the arm.