McKenna's Pharmacology for Nursing, 2e

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Drugs affecting the urinary tract and the bladder

Learning objectives Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe four common problems associated with the urinary tract, including the clinical manifestations of these problems. 2. Describe the therapeutic actions, indications, pharmacokinetics, contraindications and cautions, most common adverse reactions and important drug–drug interactions associated with urinary tract anti- infectives, antispasmodics and analgesics, bladder protectants and drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). 3. Discuss the use of drugs affecting the urinary tract and bladder across the lifespan. 4. Compare and contrast the prototype drugs norfloxacin, oxybutynin and pentosan polysulfate sodium with other agents in their class. 5. Outline the care considerations, including important teaching points, for people receiving drugs affecting the urinary tract and bladder.

Test your current knowledge of drugs affecting the urinary tract and bladder with a PrepU Practice Quiz!

Glossary of key terms acidification: the process of increasing the acid level; used to treat bladder infections, making the bladder an undesirable place for bacteria antispasmodics: agents that block muscle spasm associated with irritation or neurological stimulation benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): enlargement of the prostate gland, associated with age and inflammation; also called benign prostatic hypertrophy cystitis: inflammation of the bladder, caused by infection or irritation dysuria: painful urination interstitial cystitis: chronic inflammation of the interstitial connective tissue of the bladder; may extend into deeper tissue nocturia: getting up to void at night, reflecting increased renal perfusion with fluid shifts in the supine position when a person has gravity-dependent oedema related to heart failure; other medical conditions, including urinary tract infection, increase the need to get up and void pyelonephritis: inflammation of the pelves of the kidney, frequently caused by backward flow problems or by bacteria ascending the ureter urgency: the feeling that one needs to void immediately; associated with infection and inflammation in the urinary tract urinary frequency: the need to void often; usually seen in response to irritation of the bladder, age and inflammation

URINARY TRACT ANTI-INFECTIVES hexamine hippurate nitrofurantoin norfloxacin

URINARY TRACT ANTISPASMODICS

OTHER DRUGS USED THAT AFFECT THE URINARY TRACT AND BLADDER Bladder protectant pentosan polysulfate sodium

DRUGS FOR TREATING BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA Alpha-adrenergic blockers alfuzosin tamsulosin terazosin Drugs that block testosterone production

darifenacin oxybutynin solifenacin tolterodine

dutasteride finasteride