Nursing Implications of Anticonvulsant Therapy
Nursing Implications of Anticonvulsant Therapy ( 4 Questions)
A nurse is preparing to administer intravenous (IV) phenobarbital (Luminal) to a patient who has status epilepticus. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
The action that the nurse should take is choice D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration. This is an important action because phenobarbital is a barbiturate that can cause respiratory depression, especially when given intravenously²³. The nurse should monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and be prepared to provide respiratory support if needed²³.
The action that the nurse should take is choice D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration. This is an important action because phenobarbital is a barbiturate that can cause respiratory depression, especially when given intravenously²³. The nurse should monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and be prepared to provide respiratory support if needed²³.
The action that the nurse should take is choice D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration. This is an important action because phenobarbital is a barbiturate that can cause respiratory depression, especially when given intravenously²³. The nurse should monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and be prepared to provide respiratory support if needed²³.
The action that the nurse should take is choice D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration. This is an important action because phenobarbital is a barbiturate that can cause respiratory depression, especially when given intravenously²³. The nurse should monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and be prepared to provide respiratory support if needed²³.
D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration.
The action that the nurse should take is choice D. Monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation during and after the drug administration. This is an important action because phenobarbital is a barbiturate that can cause respiratory depression, especially when given intravenously²³. The nurse should monitor the patient's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and be prepared to provide respiratory support if needed²³.
The other actions by the nurse are incorrect and indicate a need for further education.
- Choice A is wrong because the nurse should not dilute the drug in normal saline solution, but rather in water for injection. Normal saline is not compatible with phenobarbital and can cause precipitation or crystallization of the drug¹². The nurse should dilute each 1 mL injection solution to 10 mL with water for injection before administration¹.
- Choice B is wrong because the nurse should not flush the IV line with dextrose solution before and after the drug administration, but rather with water for injection. Dextrose is not compatible with phenobarbital and can cause precipitation or crystallization of the drug¹². The nurse should flush the IV line with water for injection before and after administration to prevent drug interactions and ensure complete delivery of the medication¹.
- Choice C is wrong because the nurse should not give the drug by rapid IV push over 10 to 20 seconds, but rather slowly over at least 3 minutes. Rapid IV administration of phenobarbital can cause severe respiratory depression, apnea, laryngospasm, hypertension or vasodilation with hypotension²³. The maximum rate of injection is 30 mg/minute in children and 60 mg/minute in adults³.