NUR 2407 Pharmacology Medication Olympics, part D

NUR 2407 Pharmacology Medication Olympics, part D

 

You will be pre-assigned as a team to one of the following Units: Unit Three: Maintenance of Homeostasis; Unit Eleven: Respiratory Drugs; Unit Twelve: Cardiovascular Drugs; Unit Thirteen: Gastrointestinal Drugs.

This is a 4 week activity. You will stay in your team for each of the weeks that follow.

Prepare a 15 minute Summary Presentation for class to include the following:

Summary of the Unit/Classification

Minimum of three types of drugs or supplements

Typical routes of administration

Common side effects and adverse effects

Special considerations

Common Nursing interventions

Teams must distill the material to only key points. The presentation may be a Power Point, lecture and handouts, poster or any way the team feels they will best present the information. Use your textbook and Davis’s Drug Guide as your resources.

Teams collect points over the four weeks for their presentation. They are graded on their accuracy and thoroughness of their presentation as well as how well they worked as a team. At the end of the four modules, each team will be awarded an Olympic medal for the number of points earned.

Following your in-class activity, prepare your presentation for submission. Scan the materials if needed.

Drugs can be categorised by the way in which they affect our bodies:

• depressants — slow down the function of the central nervous system
• hallucinogens — affect your senses and change the way you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things
• stimulants — speed up the function of the central nervous system

Some drugs affect the body in many ways and can fall into more than one category. For example, cannabis appears in all 3 categories.

Depressants

Depressants slow down the messages between the brain and the body — they don’t necessarily make you feel depressed. The slower messages affect:

• your concentration and coordination
• your ability to respond to what’s happening around you

Small doses of depressants can make you feel relaxed, calm and less inhibited.

Larger doses can cause sleepiness, vomiting and nausea, unconsciousness and even death.

Examples include:

• alcohol
• benzodiazepines (minor tranquillisers such as Valium)
• cannabis
• GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)
• ketamine
• opioids (heroin, morphine, codeine)

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Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens change your sense of reality — you can have hallucinations. Your senses are distorted and the way you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things is different. For example, you may see or hear things that are not really there, or you may have unusual thoughts or feelings.

Small doses can cause a feeling of floating, numbness, confusion, disorientation, or dizziness.

Larger doses may cause hallucinations, memory loss, distress, anxiety, increased heart rate, paranoia, panic and aggression.

Examples include:

• cannabis
• ketamine
• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
• psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
• PCP (phencyclidine)

Stimulants

Stimulants speed up the messages between the brain and the body. This can cause:

• your heart to beat faster
• your blood pressure to go up
• your body temperature to go up — leading to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke
• reduced appetite
• agitation
• sleeplessness

You can feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic.

Larger doses can cause anxiety, panic, seizures, stomach cramps and paranoia.

Examples include:

• amphetamines (speed and ice)
• caffeine
• cocaine
• ecstasy (MDMA — methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
• nicotine (tobacco)

Common groups of drugs

Drugs can also be grouped by how or where they are commonly used.

Analgesics

Analgesics – or painkillers – relieve the symptoms of pain. Some people take more than the recommended dose to get high, or to self-harm. They can also be overused by people who have chronic pain.

Some are available over the counter, such as:

• aspirin
• paracetamol
• ibuprofen

Others require a prescription from a doctor, such as:

• codeine and paracetamol combination products
• fentanyl
• morphine
• oxycodone
• pethidine

Inhalants

Inhalants are substances that you breathe in through the nose (sniffing) or mouth. They are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly, giving the user an immediate high.

There are 4 main types of inhalants:

• volatile solvents — liquids that turn into a gas at room temperatures — for example, paint thinners and removers, glues, petrol and correction fluid (liquid paper)
• aerosol sprays — for example, spray paints, deodorants and hairsprays, fly sprays and vegetable oil sprays
• gases — for example, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), propane, butane (cigarette lighters), helium
• nitrites — for example, room deodorisers and leather cleaners

Most of these are depressants, except for nitrites.

Opioids

Opioids are a type of painkiller that can be made from poppy plants (heroin) or produced synthetically (fentanyl). Also called opiates or narcotics, they are addictive as they can give you a feeling of wellbeing or euphoria.