Nursing2024 Drug Handbook

viii How to use Nursing2024 Drug Handbook ®

Photoguide to tablets and capsules

using two or more drugs simultaneously, refer to the interactions section for each drug. Effects on lab test results This section lists increased and decreased levels, counts, and other values in lab test results that may be caused by the drug’s systemic effects. It also indicates false-positive, false-negative, and otherwise altered results of lab tests a drug may cause. Contraindications & cautions This section outlines any conditions or special circumstances, such as diseases or conditions, in which use of the drug is undesirable or for which the drug should be given with caution. This section also contains information about whether or not the drug is dialyzable. When applicable, specific signs and symptoms of drug overdose are listed as the last bulleted item under this heading and highlighted by a special logo ( H Overdose S&S: ) for easy identification. Pregnancy–lactation–reproduction This section provides nurses with targeted, easy- to-understand safety information about each drug’s use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It also provides information about fertility effects, contraception recommendations, and enrollment information for registries that moni- tor drug safety during pregnancy. Nursing considerations Within this section, readers can find practical information on patient-monitoring techniques and suggestions for the prevention and treat- ment of adverse reactions as well as helpful tips on promoting patient comfort. Patient teaching Concise guidelines for explaining the drug’s purpose, encouraging compliance, ensuring proper use and storage, and preventing or minimizing adverse reactions are included in this section. Appendices and other helpful aids Nursing2024 Drug Handbook includes 27 ap- pendices that provide nurses and students with hands-on access to a wealth of supportive data and clinical information. A handy visual “Quick guide to special sym- bols, logos, and highlighted terms”and “Guide to abbreviations” immediately follow this “How to use”piece.

To enhance patient safety and help make drug identification easier, Nursing2024 Drug Hand- book offers a 32-page full-color photoguide to the most commonly prescribed tablets and capsules. Shown in actual size, the drugs are arranged alphabetically by generic name for quick reference followed by the brand names and their most common dosage strengths. Be- low the name of each drug is a cross-reference to where information on the drug can be found in the book. Brand names of drugs that ap- pear in the photoguide are shown in text with a special capsule symbol ( i ). Page references to the drug photos appear in boldface type in the index (for example, C12 ). Photos for certain brands were provided by the following companies for use in this book: Novartis Pharmaceuticals (Enablex); Sepracor, Inc. (Lunesta); Teva Pharmaceuticals (Azilect); and Pfizer (Sutent). Additional photos were provided by Jeff Sigler of SFI Medical Publishing. Lippincott NursingCenter ® Readers also have online access to a wealth of drug-related information at https://www. nursingcenter.com. Included are monthly FDA drug updates, drug warnings, and drug news abstracts. Also included are drug quizzes, best- practice medication safety guidelines, admin- istration tips, real-life medication stories, CE tests, and so much more.