McKenna's Pharmacology for Nursing, 2e

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P A R T 6  Drugs acting on the endocrine system

CHAPTER SUMMARY

WEB LINKS

■■ Hypothalamic releasing factors stimulate the anterior pituitary to release hormones. ■■ The hypothalamic releasing factors are used mostly for diagnostic testing and for treating some forms of cancer. ■■ Anterior pituitary hormones stimulate endocrine glands or cell metabolism. ■■ Growth hormone (GH) deficiency can cause dwarfism in children and somatropin deficiency syndrome in adults. ■■ GH replacement is done with drugs produced by recombinant DNA processes; these agents are more reliable and cause fewer problems than drugs used in the past. ■■ GH excess causes gigantism in people whose epiphyseal plates have not closed and acromegaly in people with closed epiphyseal plates. ■■ GH antagonists include octreotide and bromocriptine. Blockage of other endocrine activity may occur when these drugs are used. ■■ Posterior pituitary hormones are produced in the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary. They include oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ■■ Lack of ADH produces diabetes insipidus, which is characterised by large amounts of dilute urine and excessive thirst. ■■ ADH replacement uses desmopressin, an analogue of ADH, which can be administered parenterally or intranasally. ■■ Fluid balance needs to be monitored when individuals are taking desmopressin or vasopressin.

Patients, healthcare providers, and students may want to consult the following Internet sources: www.acromegaly.org Information on acromegaly—diagnosis, treatment and support. http://pituitary.asn.au Home page of the Australian Pituitary Foundation Ltd. Information and support for people with pituitary conditions. www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/cpg.cfm?doc_id=9745 Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Clinical Practice Guidelines – Diabetes Insipidus. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barrett, K . E. & Ganong, W. F. (2010). Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology (23rd edn). New York: McGraw-Hill. Farrell, M. & Dempsey, J. (2014). Smeltzer & Bare’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (3rd edn). Sydney: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Finlayson, A. & Sanders, S. (2007). (Eds.). Endocrine and Reproductive Systems (3rd edn). Edinburgh: Mosby. Gardner, D. G., Greenspan, F. S. & Shoback, D. M. (Eds.). (2011). Basic and Clinical Endocrinology (9th edn). New York: McGraw-Hill. Goodman, L. S., Brunton, L. L., Chabner, B. & Knollmann, B. C. (2011). Goodman and Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (12th edn). New York: McGraw-Hill. Gordon, B. M (2007). Pharmacological management of secreting pituitary tumors. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing , 39(1) , 52–57. Guyton, A. & Hall, J. (2011). Textbook of Medical Physiology (12th edn) . Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. Hanberg, A. (2005). Common disorders of the pituitary gland: Hyposecretion versus hypersecretion. Journal of Infusion Nursing , 28 , 36–44. Lim, E. M. (2009). Drug treatment of pituitary tumours. Australian Prescriber , 32 , 19–21. McKenna, L. (2012). Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy (1st Australian and New Zealand edn). Sydney: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. McKenna, L. & Mirkov, S. (2014). McKenna’s Drug Handbook for Nursing and Midwifery (7th edn). Sydney: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Porth, C. M. (2011). Essentials of Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States (3rd edn). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Porth, C. M. (2009). Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States (8th edn). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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ONLINE RESOURCES

An extensive range of additional resources to enhance teaching and learning and to facilitate understanding of this chapter may be found online at the text’s accompanying website, located on thePoint at http://thepoint.lww.com. These include Watch and Learn videos, Concepts in Action animations, journal articles, review questions, case studies, discussion topics and quizzes.