Please post one initial post regarding Nursing Practice Application regarding
pharmacotherapy with Diuretics: Loop Diuretics, Thiazide Diuretics, PotassiumSparing Diuretics, Diuretics for Specific Indications (Chapter 24). Your initial post
must include at least 150 words (excluding APA citation). APA citation 7th edition
must me used and included in your post.
You should consider including nursing practice applications: baseline assessment
prior to administration and throughout administration of the medication, therapeutic
effects, minimizing adverse effects, patient understanding of drug therapy, or patient
self-administration of drug therapy.
Diuretics are drugs that are used to treat renal and cardiovascular disorders. They increase production
of urine, which promotes excretion of salt (sodium) and water. Use of this class of drug is seen in
hypertension, kidney failure, heart failure and pulmonary disease. There are three general classifications
of diuretics, and one misccellaneours based on their mechanism of action. Loop diuretcis are used to
reduce peripheral and pulmonary edema associated with heart failure, renal disease and hepatic
cirrhosis. Thiazide diuretics are indicated to treat mild to moderate hypertension also edema that is
consistent with heart, renal and liver failure. Most critical adverse effect of using loop and thiazide
diuretics is hypokalemia, potassium-sparing diuretcis are used to achive diuresis without affecting blood
potassium levels.Misccalenous diuretics include osmotic and carbonic anhydrase ihibitors. Osmotic
diuretcis increases urinary flow and carbonic anhydrase are not commonly used as diuretcis due to
insubstantial diuresis it can also lead to metabolic acidosis.
Nursing baseline assessment should include health, drug, allergy history. Vital signs with a focus
on blood pressure, breath sounds and cardiac monitoring. If edema is present nurse should assess
location and character. It is important to inspect hearing and balance, patient can have risk for falls and
that adverse drug effects can cause. Lab values such as electrolytes, blood glucose, complete blood
count, liver and kidney values as well as uric acid levels and lipid profiles should be check at baseline
assessment and also during administration. It is cruciate that nurse assess desired therapeutic effect
throught administration and monitor for adverse effects. Tinnitus, hearing loss, decreased urine output,
weight gain/loss over 1kg in a 24-hour period should be immediately reported to HCP. Ototoxicity may
occur when loop diuretcis are used).
To minimalize side effects its important to assess and continue to monitor vital signs, lab values,
daily weights, input and output. Nurse should teach the patient that diuretcis can cause dizziness and it
is cruciate that patient know how to rise from sitting/lying position, get assistance if needed and self
monitor blood pressure. Medication should be stopped and HCP informed when blood pressure is
90/60mmhg or below parameters that were provided to the patient.