Risks of Taking Lemsip Max Assignment Sample

• Subject Name : Nursing

Medication Errors in Intensive Care Units - Question 1

Risks of taking Lemsip Max

Proper medication is essential to human health and should always be prescribed by doctors, nurses, clinicians, and any expert medic in the field. Diagnosis should be the priority before a medical statement is issued to the patients. Considering Mr. Terry's case study, it was imperative to consider his medical history before taking Lemsip Max. Inappropriate intake of Lemsip Max put Terry's increased the vulnerability of high blood pressure (hypertension). On Terry's previous medical records, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure; therefore, he shouldn't have started taking Lemsip Max. Since Mr. Terry was initially taking hypertension drugs, Lemsip Max would consequently interfere with the effectiveness and functionality of the hypertension medication. The interference would result in increased vulnerability to other reinfections.

Other than increased blood pressure, Lemsip Max is known for increasing the vulnerability of exposing the people who take it to an increased heart rate. Terry was taking Lemsip Max to treat the flu, that was disturbing him time and again. The core ingredients of Lemsip Max include paracetamol, caffeine, and phenylephrine hydrochloride. Due to the presence of phenylephrine, which an active ingredient in Lemsip Max, the drug is contraindicated to the patients who are facing severe heart diseases and any other cardiovascular disorders (Molloy, 2016). According to the case study, Terry Hunter is facing this condition. Therefore, the administration of this medicine would put him in a higher risk of persistent infections attributed to a heart attack. It was, therefore, cautious for Terry Hunter not to have discussed his medical history to a medic before the administration of Lemsip Max.

Risks of taking Nurofen

Nurofen is known for reducing inflammation and providing instant and effective relief of the primary symptoms attributed to cold and flu. Also, the drug helps in reducing temporary pain associated with sinus pain, headache, and sore throat. Several risks are attributed to patients who regularly take Nurofen medications in addressing their current sicknesses such as pains, inflammations, and flu. One of the common side effects of this medication is an uncomfortable bowel movement (Teplyuk, 2017). Nurofen can cause painful bowel movement changes in some people though not all. People with chronic diseases such as acute myocardial diseases, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure are more vulnerable to the risk of uncomfortable bowel movement due to the consistent use of Nurofen. The bowel movement changes are accompanied by bloating, abdominal cramping, and diminished appetite.

Another effect and risk attributed to the intake of Nurofen (Ibuprofen) are that the medication causes stomach upset and problems. In man, people taking this medication at the recommended duration and dose will not cause stomach complications. However, uninformed intake of such medicines will significantly affect the way the stomach behaves. The Nurofen medication contains Ibuprofen, a pain reliever belonging to steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Therefore, any drug containing Ibuprofen should be taken by patients with stomach ulcers and any other stomach related problems. It was, therefore, imperative for Terry Hunter to seek medical advice before taking this medicine because they may expose him to contracting other reinfections. His medical history suggests that he was earlier diagnosed with chronic diseases that weaken the body defense system and become less immune to opportunistic infections.

Medication Errors in Intensive Care Units - Question 2

According to the case scenario, there are several things that nurses and medical practitioners should adhere to and comply with within the realm of managing and preventing the risks that may arise from the intake of the medications, as mentioned above. The strategies for risk management and prevention will, in a great deal, help in the promotion of Terry's health conditions. One of the available methods that the medics should consider important is creating awareness of the mass about the safe intake of this medication. The nurses should organize seminars and open-air crusades to disseminate the information to the gathering and warn them against the uninformed intake of this drug. The nurses should also do some cross-examinations to ascertain the patients' medical history and finally decide according to the history of the medication is fit for a prescription to them. Like in the case scenario, Terry was not supposed to take Lemsip Max because of his prevailing medical conditions, but due to lack of knowledge, attributed to the nurses' failure to inform the masses about the proper intake of this medicine, Terry sent on and took the medication. The nursing fraternity should also consider laying down strategies and regulations that govern the activities of clinicians and instill them with regular updates concerning the Lemsip Max prescription. To manage the identified risks of taking Lemsip Max, nurses should formulate and innovate countermeasures applicable in reducing the effects of such risk occurring. Such preventive measures may include coming up with drugs that incase a person wrongly takes Lemsip Max can be taken to deactivate or reduce the severity of the effect.

Another strategy that nurses can use to prevent and manage the risks due to the intake of Nuferon is that the nurses should enquire about the current medication that the patients are undertaking (Foley et al., 2016). Through this, nurses will avoid prescribing drugs to patients who are currently under other medications. Since the wrong dosage of Nuferon can lead to high blood pressure and other ill health effects, the responsible nurses should always stick to the proper dosage or work to better the dosage that should be administered to the patients with these health complications. Nurses can also prevent the adverse effects and risks of Nuferon by avoiding harmful drugs that are not compatible with Nuferon and even encouraging the best diet in case one is prescribed to taking this medication.

The food and drug interaction should also be considered as Nuferon may not be compatible with some foods, and the combination of them may cause adverse body effects. The nurses and medical engineers should come up with strategies to reduce the toxic levels of both Nuferon and Lemsip Max to help to manage and to prevent these risks. The toxic medication levels can be monitored and collected through evidence-based chromatographic techniques, ensuring that the drug body systems concentration is always kept at the recommended levels. Finally, to avoid risks associated with Lemsip Max and Nuferon, the nurses should offer education to the patients about the importance of sticking the nurses' prescriptions, avoiding long-term use of these medicines, and keeping the medications at the lowest and adequate levels.

Medication Errors in Intensive Care Units - Question 3

Strategies for preventing medication errors

The nurses and medical officers need to become familiar with several strategies necessary for preventing and reducing the occurrence of medical errors. In most cases, the medication teams commit errors, which later compromises the health status of the patients they attended to. Firstly, the nurses should learn to follow proper medication reconciliation procedures when transferring patients from one institution or unit to another. The procedures help the nursing team gather and review individual information regarding patient details, dosage, medication history, route, and treatment time (Pournamdar, 2016). After gathering the relevant information, the nurses should compare the data with medication and transfer codes listed in the transfer documents and match them correctly. Although it's difficult to find all the elements of medication for verification, it is essential to verify all the possible sources before authorizing the transfer. The nurses should verify information from the transferring/discharging unit, patient or patient's family, and the physician who was previously administering medication to the patient. Effective verification significantly helps in preventing potential errors that are directed connected to improper reconciliation.

Secondly, somebody can prevent medication errors that result from impractical nursing activities can be prevented by ensuring proper and total documentation of patient information. In addition to the patient information, the nurses should often record information about medication labeling, administered medication, and legible documentation that is found essential or applicable for future treatment of the patient. Before recording the information, the nurses should gather adequate diagnosis information attributed to the patient and record it on readable and understandable language to ease verification in the future (Plevová, 2019). Also, the nurses should be keen to note every information the patients or patient's family communicate concerning the previous medical history. Proper medication allows other clinical officers to t refer to the last medical statement before administering patient medicines. Therefore, improper medication leaves out vital information that is relevant in future medication. For instance, if one nurse fails to document some medication information, it can result in the administration of another dosage by a different use, leading to medical error. Also, the nurses should practice reading the expiration date and prescription label of the medication before administering it to the patients. At times, the correct medication can have an incorrect title, resulting in medical error. Therefore, nurses should ensure that the right medication carries the correct label before administering it to the patients.

A third strategy for preventing medication errors requires the nurses to ensure that medicines and other medication equipment are appropriately stored for proper efficacy. Some medications need to be always stored in a refrigerator while others only require a room temperature while in storage. Therefore, the nurses should ensure that refrigeration medications are kept refrigerated while to maintain efficacy, and store the other medications accordingly. Although most of the biological medications can stay under refrigeration long after opening, the nurses should label the expiration date correctly, stating how long the medication will expire after opening. For the nurses to ensure proper storage, they should be conversant with every information regarding medication orders, administration, transcription, and documentation.

References for Risks of Taking Lemsip Max

Foley, M., Carney, T., Rich, E., Parry, C., Van Hout, M. C., & Deluca, P. (2016). Medical professionals' perspectives on prescribed and over-the-counter medicines containing codeine: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 6(7).

Molloy, P., Chambers, R., & Cork, T. (2016). How well are national guidelines relating to the general sales of aspirin and paracetamol, adhered to by retail stores: a mystery shopper study. BMJ open, 6(1).

Plevová, I. (2019). MEASURES TO PREVENT MEDICATION ERRORS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS. Nursing and Midwifery, 10(2).

Pournamdar, Z., & Zare, S. (2016). Survey of medication error factors from nurses' perspective. Biology and Medicine, 8(5), 1.

Teplyuk, N. P., & Kadyrova, Z. S. (2019). DIAGNOSING OF DRUG TOXIDERMIA CAUSED BY NUROFEN BY THE METHOD OF BARIUM SULFATE STIMULATED LUMINOL-DEPENDENT CHEMILUMINESCENCE OF LEUKOCYTES. Russian Journal of Skin and Venereal Diseases, 22(1-2), 39-45.

Remember, at the center of any academic work, lies clarity and evidence. Should you need further assistance, do look up to our Nursing Assignment Help