Medication Question

fluffwad · Dec 4, 2005

It is not unusual for a patient to be on all 3 of these drugs.

doodlemom · Dec 4, 2005

Hello! I am doing MAR for homework and it is driving me crazy! I wonder if I will ever get it right! Med question:
Is it common to see Lasix, Digoxin & Vasotec prescribed together?
I feel like I should question this or maybe I am way overthinking!

Many patients that have heart history are on multiple heart and BP meds. It would not even be surprising to see a couple more added in there. Good luck!

Nurse Ratched, RN · Dec 4, 2005

Think about it this way: there are three things that affect blood pressure - (1) fluid (blood) volume (2) force of contractility of the heart and (3) vessels - how dilated or constricted and the amounto of buildup in the form of plaques inside them. We attack blood pressure and heart problems by giving meds that affect one or more of these factors.

When educating patients, I use the analogy of a faucet. How high the water is turned on (force of the heart), how much water (fluid volume) and what it's running through (little tiny pipes versus bigger ones, or hard pipes versus soft supple hoses.

BurnBaby06 · Dec 4, 2005

Think about it this way: there are three things that affect blood pressure - (1) fluid (blood) volume (2) force of contractility of the heart and (3) vessels - how dilated or constricted and the amounto of buildup in the form of plaques inside them. We attack blood pressure and heart problems by giving meds that affect one or more of these factors.
When educating patients, I use the analogy of a faucet. How high the water is turned on (force of the heart), how much water (fluid volume) and what it's running through (little tiny pipes versus bigger ones, or hard pipes versus soft supple hoses.

Ok! Now it clicks! That is a great analogy! Thank you so much!

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2005

Thats most of my LTC pts! Just add some K and a colace too!

BurnBaby06 · Dec 4, 2005

Thats most of my LTC pts! Just add some K and a colace too!

Oh my goodness! This whole medication thing sounds like a circle! Once again-how you guys get all the meds done on one shift is beyond me!

Keysnurse2008 · Dec 4, 2005

Look at your patients medical hx. Then think...what do each one of these drugs do for that patients condition?They are all there to treat the same problem, but only in variety of ways...attacking the problem from all directions?

Underbedmonster · Dec 4, 2005

Nurse Ratched, thanks for a beautiful analogy! As an almost-grad (17th, baby!), I'm constantly on the lookout for pt. education tips. The nurses on this board have taught me a ton on a variety of subjects. Happy holidays :)

pkeyrn · Dec 7, 2005

Not uncommon at all - don't be surprised if you even saw a couple of other antihypertensives or antianginals thrown in as well sometimes when dealing with the elderly.

suebird3 · Dec 7, 2005

hello! i am doing mar for homework and it is driving me crazy! i wonder if i will ever get it right! med question:
is it common to see lasix, digoxin & vasotec prescribed together?
i feel like i should question this or maybe i am way overthinking!

have at least 5 on the mix right now.....

suebird

rouqie · Dec 9, 2005

The medications are probally because the patient has had uncontrolable problems at one time. Some times a doctor will just add more and more meds until a patient is stable then attempt to wean them off slowly. I work with doctors and pharmacist so where one is putting people on meds the other is trying to take them off. So in my job I would just say the doctor is winning right now.