Discussion: Women’s and Men’s Health, Infectious Disease, and Hematologic Disorders NURS 6521

Discussion: Women’s and Men’s Health, Infectious Disease, and Hematologic Disorders NURS 6521

Pharmaceutical therapies I elected to initiate this patient’s pathophysiology with 10 mg of chewable Ritalin (methylphenidate) in the morning. Eight-year-old female with a new diagnosis of ADHD who had never taken medication before. At her first follow-up session four weeks after starting medication, her parents noted that her symptoms had improved in the morning, but that the medication appeared to be losing its effectiveness by the afternoon. In the clinic, the patient’s heart rate was measured to be 130 beats per minute, which alarmed the patient’s parents. The patient remarked that her heart felt “weird,” and her parents noted that her heart rate was 130 beats per During this visit, the medication was altered to 20 mg of Ritalin LA to be taken orally each morning. This modification will allow medication to be administered over a period of four to seven hours with a maximum length of twelve hours (Davis’s Drug Guide, 2018). After four weeks, the patient returns for a follow-up appointment, and the parents report that their child’s schooling has improved and the medication is lasting throughout the day. The patient reports that the chest discomfort has subsided. This dosage would be continued for an additional four weeks, accompanied by a clinic checkup.

Ritalin is the medicine of choice for the initial treatment of ADHD, and its efficacy has been demonstrated (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). No studies recommend one treatment above another; consequently, if the initial drug is unsuccessful, the practitioner should examine second-line drugs (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). Possible stimulant adverse effects include sleeplessness and growth suppression (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). As extended-release drugs can last up to twelve hours, they should be administered as near to the child’s waking time as possible to minimize insomnia. If the child has a diminished appetite, administer medicine after or during meals (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021). Some providers advocate “drug holidays” in which the child does not take medication on the weekends; however, this is not advised for all children (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2021).

References

Block, R., Macdonald, N. P., & Piotrowski, N. A. (2021). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Magill’s Medical Guide (Online Edition).

Davis’s Drug Guide. (2018). Davis’s drug guide for nurses (16th ed. ed.). F.A. Davis Company. Retrieved from Www.drugguide.com.: https://www.drugguide.com/ddo/mobile