Health Care Industry
Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedYou routinely administer combination drugs...
Nursing, Aug 2002 by Gever, Marcy Portnoff
You routinely administer combination drugs. but do you know what's in them? To find out, match each combination of ingredients in Section II with its correct name in Section I.
SECTION II
a. hydrocodone bitartrate, 7.5 mg; ibuprofen, 200 mg
Used for short-term acute pain, this combination contains hydrocodone, an opioid analgesic, and ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Tell your patient not to take any products that contain NSAIDs while using this medication and that taking this drug could make him feel drowsy or dizzy.
b. calcium carbonate, 700 mg; magnesium hydroxide, 300 mg
Most RecentHealth Care Articles
Containing the antacids calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide, this combination helps relieve heartburn and indigestion. Tell your patient to thoroughly chew 2 to 4 tablets between meals and at bedtime. Remind her to take her prescription medications 1 hour before or 2 hours after the antacid to prevent drug interactions.
c. lovastatin, 20 mg; niacin, 500 mg, 750 mg, or 1,000 mg
This combination may be prescribed for someone who's taking cholesterol-lowering lovastatin but needs to reduce triglyceride or increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Lovastatin is more effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein and niacin is more effective in raising HDL. Warn your patient to contact his primary care provider if he develops intolerable facial flushing.
d. rifampin, 300 mg; isoniazid, 150 mg
Prescribed to treat tuberculosis, this combination contains the antibiotics rifampin and isoniazid. Both can cause severe liver dysfunction, so tell your patient to report such signs as weight loss, nausea, weakness, or jaundice.
e. naphazoline HCI, 0.05%; antazoline phosphate, 0.5%
A patient may buy these eyedrops to relieve allergy symptoms. Naphazoline, a vasoconstrictor, soothes irritation and removes redness; antazoline, an antihistamine, relieves itching. Tell him to stop using the drops if he has eye pain or vision changes and to report the problem to his primary care provider or eye care specialist.
ANSWERS: 1c, 2a, 3d, 4e, 5b.
Marcy Portnoff Gever is an independent pharmacist consultant and educator in Ringoes, N.J.
Brought to you by CBS MoneyWatch.com
- Best- and Worst-Paid College Degrees
- 6 Things You Should Never Do on Twitter or Facebook
- How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
- 6 Big Myths about Gas Mileage
- 5 Rules for Immediate Annuities
- Death in the Family: 12 Things to Do Now
- Dumbest Things You Do With Your Money
- 6 Online Networking Mistakes to Avoid
- 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid
- 5 Economic Scenarios to Keep You Up at Night
- The Real ‘Best Places to Retire’
- Best Credit Cards for You
- 12 Tough Questions to Ask Your Parents
- The Real ‘Best Colleges’
- Home Buyer Tax Credit: How to Cash In
- Why You Shouldn't Bash Cash
- 8 Phony 'Bargains' and Better Alternatives
- Danger: 3 Debit Card Scams to Avoid
- 6 Myths About Gas Mileage
- 29 Fees We Hate Most
- Quick and Easy Ways to Boost Returns
- Best Stocks to Buy Now
- Lower Your Taxes: 10 Moves to Make Now
- New Jobs: 8 Lessons from Real-Life Career Switchers
- The New Job Market: Who Wins and Who Loses?
- Health Care Reform's Public Option: Everything You Need to Know
- Volunteer Work When Unemployed: Should You Work for Free?
- Whose Recovery Is This?
- Long-Term-Care Insurance: 4 Biggest Risks to Avoid
Content provided in partnership with
Most Recent Health Articles
Most Recent Health Publications
Most Popular Health Articles
- Make running easier: with this unique 'pose running' technique, you'll learn to actually enjoy your fat-burning sessions
- 50 home remedies that work: these safe, fast, and effective fixes will relieve what ails you - Cover Story
- Detox in 7 days: a detoux diet can help you shed up to 10 pounds and leave you feeling terrific. Our weeklong plan shows you how to lose the weight and keep it off - Cover story
- Treat sinusitis naturally: breath easy and relieve sinus pressure with these remedies - Quick Fixes and Long-Term Solutions
- All about nightshades: explore the hidden hazards of your favorite food with macrobiotic nutritionist Lino Stanchich



