Roach's Introductory Clinical Pharmacology 11th Edition - Antiviral Drugs Related

Review Roach's Introductory Clinical Pharmacology 11th Edition - Antiviral Drugs related questions and content

A patient who is being discharged needs to continue taking the zanamivir using a Diskhaler and a bronchodilator. Both the inhaler and the Diskhaler are prescribed at the same time. Which instruction would the nurse include in the teaching plan for the patient?

  • A. Zanamivir should be taken every 6 hours.
  • B. Use the bronchodilator before taking zanamivir.
  • C. Zanamivir used with a bronchodilator causes orthostatic hypotension.
  • D. Risk of disease transmission is minimal during therapy.
  • E. Monitor for allergic reactions
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The bronchodilator should be used before the zanamivir. The drug should be taken every 12 hours, not every 6 hours. The nurse should also inform the patient that treatment with this drug does not decrease the risk of transmission of the 'flu' to others. Zanamivir when used with a bronchodilator does not specifically cause orthostatic hypotension, though antivirals are known to affect the mental status of patients. Monitoring for allergic reactions is a general recommendation but not specific to this scenario.