Meds you hate to give....

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What are the top medications that you hate to give and why?

Mine is Amphotericin B (called "Ampho-terrible" at my hospital).

Anything that can't mix with Normal Saline makes me nervous. It makes me wonder what's going to happen when it gets into the vein--isn't blood a fairly salty environment?

Sorry if I missed the answer, haven't read entire post. What is that? Like skippy pesnut butter?

I was told a long time ago the reason it is called a Skippy enema is because someone by the name of Dr. Skippy invented the recipe, not sure how accurate that is. To be honest, I was LOL so hard I was having a hard time hearing the history from the nurse that was making the enema. I walked in the med room and knew immediately what he was doing just by how he was dressed. When he had to give a Skippy he didn't just put on the booties, beanie, plastic back gown, mask w/eye protection, and gloves. He put plastic baggies over his shoes but under the booties, he wore those booties that are made to go over boots instead of shoes so they would cover the bottoms of his pant legs, wore two yellow gowns, one that opened in the front and one that opened in the back and then the rest of the protective coverings.

He was sprayed ONE time. I guess he never forgot. :p

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
What are these?

Meds used in hematology.

Mylotarg is used for older patients with recurrent leukemia that cannot handle standard treatments.

Atgam is short for Equine antithymocyte globulin, used for treating transplant rejection, graft vs host disease and severe unresponsive aplastic anemia.

Mylotarg almost always causes severe fevers even with premeds (103-105 degrees or more.)

Atgam can have some wretched anaphylaxis in many patients.

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Specializes in LDRP.
. Potassium

The oral pills, they are huge. Too many patients state they can take them ok, then choke on them. Tried splitting them in half, but that only leaves jagged edges to go down the throat. Tried crushing them and putting them in ice cream or another food, the task is still overwhelming.

I'm also a cardiac nurse and they get potassium alot!

Anyhoo, isn't potassium non-crushable? Always says on our MAR "don't crush, may dissolve in water"

I've dissolved it in water and had them drink it or mix it in applesauce.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Seems kinda strange that somethign can't be crushed, yet it can be dissolved in water.

I need to find out more on this, because i have a family member who was prescribed K, and was given a huge supply of the white horse pills that are so hard for her to swallow. We're looking for more options of forms of K for her.

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Seems kinda strange that somethign can't be crushed, yet it can be dissolved in water.

I need to find out more on this, because i have a family member who was prescribed K, and was given a huge supply of the white horse pills that are so hard for her to swallow. We're looking for more options of forms of K for her.

The 10mEq tabs are about the size of an extra strength Tylenol caplet. Maybe just a bit bigger. I assume you are referring to the 20mEq tablets, they are huge. What about 2-10mEq tabs?

I would try to stick to the tabs if possible, perhaps the 2-10mEq as the liquid is pretty bad.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

These are caplets, non gel-coated, i didn't see the bottle to know the dose.

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These are caplets, non gel-coated, i didn't see the bottle to know the dose.

I'm not familiar with that brand. I don't recall seeing K in a caplet, not saying it isn't so but just that I haven't seen it.

The type I am referring to looks a bit like styrofoam. Tons of tiny little beads glued together. They are white (or off white, perhaps) and oblong. They are huge and when your patient first looks at it they really do think they can get it down but actually swallowing them is a bit more difficult.

If the tabs you are referring to a just a bit bigger around than a pencil, those are likely the 20mEq strength.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
Seems kinda strange that somethign can't be crushed, yet it can be dissolved in water.

I need to find out more on this, because i have a family member who was prescribed K, and was given a huge supply of the white horse pills that are so hard for her to swallow. We're looking for more options of forms of K for her.

Try the liquid form, maybe?

Liquid K+ is more tolerable if you mix it in a little orange juice. Hope that helps.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I'll have to look at the bottle this weekend. I just remember double checking to make sure they weren't suppositories, they were so huge.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Try the liquid form, maybe?

Liquid K+ is more tolerable if you mix it in a little orange juice. Hope that helps.

We're trying to check about getting the liquid back. Especially since the prescription is for 2 horse caplets, 3 times a day, on top of the other stuff she takes.

I'd found the liquid multi-vitamin for her, so that eliminated one "pill".

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I'll have to look at the bottle this weekend. I just remember double checking to make sure they weren't suppositories, they were so huge.

Yep, that's K-Dur 20mEq!! :chuckle

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I can NOT stand waking someone up to give them a sleeper or giving someone a pain pill who is alert enough to tell me i'm not in any pain probally the worst smelling one is that keflex when you have to open it and mix it with applesauce i feel so sorry for those old ladys even if there taste buds aren't very good i know it has to taste awful just by the smell of it

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