Transition Drug Cards

• Control of non-productive cough.
• Acts directly on the medullary cough center of the brain to depress cough reflex. CNS Depression. Side effects-drying effect on mucous membranes. Can increase viscosity of resp. tract secretions. Drowsiness. Do not use with MAOI r/t hypotension.

Sympathemimetics (imitate the effects of the SNS to cause vasoconstriction). Risk of rebound. Not with glaucoma, hypertension, DM, thyroid disease, CAD, BPH).Relieve congestion, swelling, and inflammation by contricting arterioles-decreases blood flow to nasal mucosa.

• Promote drainage of the sinuses and improve air flow. Risk of Rebound.
• Shrinks the nasal mucous membrane by stimulating the Alpha-Adrenergic receptors in the nasal mucous membrane. Adverse effects r/t sympathomimetic effects (anxiety, hypertension, arrhythmias. Found in many OTC meds.

• Maintenance treatment of asthma.
• Potent locally acting anti-inflammatory and immune modifier. For chronic not acute inflammation. Caution with active infection like TB.

• Relief of seasonal/perennial allerigic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, uncomplicated uritcaria and angioedema.
• Selectively blocks the effect of histamine at the histamine receptor sites, decreases the allergic response also have anticholinergic and antipruritic effects. Side effects-drowsiness, anticholinergic-SLUD

• Enhances the output of respiratory tract fluid by reducing the adhesivness and surface tension of the fluid facilitating the removal of viscous mucus.
• Do not use for more than 1 week.
• Increase fluids.

• Pts with difficulty coughing up tenacious secretions who develop atelectasis undergoing bronchoscopy, pt with trachs, and post operative pts.
• Works to breakdown mucus in order to aid the high-risk pt (cystic fibrosis) in coughing up thick secretions.
• Inhaled mucomist could put pt into bronchospasm-not safest!