Frequently Used Medications
1. Medications Used to Treat Allergic Reactions
2. Antimicrobials
3. Anticonvulsants
4. Antiarrhythmics
5. Analgesics
6. Sedatives and Tranquilizers
7. Antagonists
8. Local Anesthetics
9. Paralytic Agents
10. Hypoglycemic Agents
Medications Used to Treat Allergic Reactions
Medications used to treat allergic reactions are termed antihistamines.
1. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl) is more commonly used in imaging.
2. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is administered for severe reactions.
Antibiotics
An agent that either kills or inhibits the growth of a microorganism.
2. Examples - Erythromycin, Penicillin, Bacitracin
Antimicrobials
1. Category includes antiseptics, such as Betadine
2. Antibiotics are also in this category
Anticonvulsants
1. Used to control or prevent seizures
2. Example – diazepam (Valium)
Antiarrhythmics
1. Used to treat chronic cardiac arrhythmias
Analgesics
1. Relieve pain without causing a loss of consciousness
2. Range from controlled narcotics to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as ibuprofen and aspirin
Sedatives and Tranquilizers
1. Exert a quieting effect, often inducing sleep
2. Tranquilizers reduce anxiety better than sedatives
3. Examples – lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium)
Antagonists
1. Used to counteract the effects of other drugs, such as sedatives and analgesics
2. Examples – flumazenil (Romazicon) and naloxone (Narcan)
Local Anesthetics
1. Used to eliminate sensation in a specific area before a painful procedure
2. Example – lidocaine (Xylocaine)
Paralytic Agents
1. A skeletal muscle relaxant
A. May be administered for insertion of an endotracheal airway or to combative patients to facilitate diagnosis and treatment
Hypoglycemic Agents
1. Control the level of glucose in the blood, primarily as a treatment for diabetes mellitus
2. Type I is usually treated with insulin
3. Type II may be treated with metformin (Glucophage), a sulfonylurea (Amaryl or Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), chlorpropamide (Diabinase), or rosiglitazone (Avandia)
General Precautions
1. Any of these drugs may cause an allergic reaction
2. Know the location of the emergency (crash) cart, resuscitation, and oxygen, as well as the code routine of your facility