NURS 201 Lecture Notes - Central Nervous System, Capillary Refill, Droperidol

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Nursing
• Course: NURS 201
• Professor: Marywyatt Sindlinger

Document Summary

Nausea and vomiting are found in a wide variety of gastrointestinal (gi) disorders. Drugs that control nausea and vomiting include anticholinergics (e. g. , scopolamine), antihistamines (e. g. , promethazine [phenergan]), phenothiazines (e. g. , chlorpromazine. The patient with severe or prolonged vomiting is at risk for dehydration and acid-base and electrolyte imbalances. The patient may require intravenous (iv) fluid therapy with electrolyte and glucose replacement until able to tolerate oral intake. The mortality rate for upper gi bleeding remains at 6% to 10% despite advances in intensive care, hemodynamic monitoring, and endoscopy. The severity of bleeding depends on whether the origin is venous, capillary, or arterial. Bleeding ulcers account for 50% of the cases of upper gi bleeding. Drugs such as aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, and corticosteroids are a major cause of upper gi bleeding. Although approximately 80% to 85% of patients who have massive hemorrhage spontaneously stop bleeding, the cause must be identified and treatment initiated immediately.