PN2005 session2: Gastrointestinal
Medications Overview questions and
answers
Antidiarrheals ✔✔Absorb water, adsorb irritants; treat sudden-onset diarrhea
1. Actions:
-----Locally acting agents: absorb excess water to cause a formed stool and adsorb
irritants or bacteria causing diarrhea
-----Systemic agents: act through autonomic nervous system to reduce peristalsis
and motility of the GI tract, allowing the mucosal lining to absorb nutrients, water,
and electrolytes, leaving a formed stool
2. Uses:
Treat sudden-onset diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, post-GI surgery
3. Examples:
---Local acting - loperamide (Imodium), bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol)
---Systemic - opium derivatives
Pepto makes your tongue black (side effect)
,Antidiarrheals Nursing responsibilities ✔✔1. Assessment
Cause of diarrhea - antidiarrheals contraindicated in infectious GI tract infections.
E.g. C-difficile or poisonings
2. Monitor
Adverse reactions
3. Patient Teaching
4. Document Findings
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Drugs ✔✔Treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
Actions: dependant on drug
Uses: treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
Examples: lubiprostone (Amitiza), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz)
DON'T NEED TO KNOW THESE MEDS
ANTIEMETIC AGENTS ✔✔1. Phenothiazines
2. Nonphenothiazines
3. 5-HT3 Receptor Blockers
4. Substance P∕ Neurokinin 1 Receptor Antagonist
, 5. Miscellaneous Agents
Phenothiazines ✔✔Depress CNS areas; treat nausea and vomiting
1. Actions: Depresses various areas of the central nervous system (CNS)
2. Uses: Treatment of nausea and vomiting
3. Examples: Prochlorperazine (Stemitil), chlorpromazine
Nonphenothiazines ✔✔Reduce nerve cell responsiveness; prevent nausea and
vomiting
1. Actions: Acts to reduce the responsiveness of the nerve cells in the CTZ to
circulating chemicals that induce vomiting
2. Uses: Prevention of nausea and vomiting
3. Examples: metoclopramide (Metonia, Raglan, Maxeran
5-HT3 Receptor Blockers ✔✔Block nausea receptors; control nausea and vomiting
Medications Overview questions and
answers
Antidiarrheals ✔✔Absorb water, adsorb irritants; treat sudden-onset diarrhea
1. Actions:
-----Locally acting agents: absorb excess water to cause a formed stool and adsorb
irritants or bacteria causing diarrhea
-----Systemic agents: act through autonomic nervous system to reduce peristalsis
and motility of the GI tract, allowing the mucosal lining to absorb nutrients, water,
and electrolytes, leaving a formed stool
2. Uses:
Treat sudden-onset diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, post-GI surgery
3. Examples:
---Local acting - loperamide (Imodium), bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol)
---Systemic - opium derivatives
Pepto makes your tongue black (side effect)
,Antidiarrheals Nursing responsibilities ✔✔1. Assessment
Cause of diarrhea - antidiarrheals contraindicated in infectious GI tract infections.
E.g. C-difficile or poisonings
2. Monitor
Adverse reactions
3. Patient Teaching
4. Document Findings
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Drugs ✔✔Treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
Actions: dependant on drug
Uses: treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
Examples: lubiprostone (Amitiza), hyoscyamine (Anaspaz)
DON'T NEED TO KNOW THESE MEDS
ANTIEMETIC AGENTS ✔✔1. Phenothiazines
2. Nonphenothiazines
3. 5-HT3 Receptor Blockers
4. Substance P∕ Neurokinin 1 Receptor Antagonist
, 5. Miscellaneous Agents
Phenothiazines ✔✔Depress CNS areas; treat nausea and vomiting
1. Actions: Depresses various areas of the central nervous system (CNS)
2. Uses: Treatment of nausea and vomiting
3. Examples: Prochlorperazine (Stemitil), chlorpromazine
Nonphenothiazines ✔✔Reduce nerve cell responsiveness; prevent nausea and
vomiting
1. Actions: Acts to reduce the responsiveness of the nerve cells in the CTZ to
circulating chemicals that induce vomiting
2. Uses: Prevention of nausea and vomiting
3. Examples: metoclopramide (Metonia, Raglan, Maxeran
5-HT3 Receptor Blockers ✔✔Block nausea receptors; control nausea and vomiting
