Nursing Pharmacy Issues - Essay Example

To maintain the desired anticoagulation effects, heparin must also be administered by intravenous infusion regulated by an infusion pump (Peterson et al., 2008).

The therapeutic effect of heparin is appropriately measured by the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) results. Since anticoagulation effects can be difficult to monitor because of individual differences in drug reaction (Smeltzer et al., 2010), aPTT is repeated more frequently in unstable and new clients to prevent complications due to under or over-medication.

Bed rest is one of the interventions to promote comfort in clients with DVT (Smeltzer et al., 2010). Furthermore, it is especially indicated to prevent the dislodgment of pre-existing thrombus into the bloodstream for high-risk clients. Aside from bed rest, the careful elevation of the lower limbs is also helpful to prevent venous stasis and promote blood circulation

The use of infusion pumps maximizes safety measures in the client with DVT under heparin therapy (Peterson et al., 2008). In this case, the IV pump malfunctioned and resulted in the accidental administration of the drug in high dosages. Although the client does not show signs of bleeding initially, aPTT should be rechecked to determine the degree of possible adverse reactions. The drug administration should be discontinued temporarily to prevent further increases in drug levels. Furthermore, protamine sulfate should be prepared as an antidote in case the client manifests excessive bleeding (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010. The physician should also be notified immediately. Read More