Folic Acid Drug Study

Friday, February 20, 2009

In making a Drug Study, the following elements must be present: Generic Name and the Brand name (not all brands, just the brand used by the patient), Action, Indication, Pregnancy Category, Drug Classification, and Contraindication, Adverse Effect, Drug interaction and Nursing Consideration/Intervention…. Most clinical instructors preferred this to be in a long bond paper in printed or handwritten with paper in landscape.

Folic acid (folacin, pteroylglutamic acid, folate)


Brand Name: Folvite

Pregnancy Category A

Drug class: Folic acid



Therapeutic actions


Active reduced form of folic acid; required for nucleoprotein synthesis and maintenence of normal erythropoiesis.



Indications


· Treatment of megoblastic anemias due to sprue, nutritional deficiency, pregnancy, infancy, and childhood



Contraindications


· Contraindicated with allergy to folic acid preparations; pernicious, aplastic, normocytic anemias.



Adverse effects


· Hypersensitivity: Allergic reactions

· Local: Pain and discomfort at injection site



Drug Interaction:


· Decrease in serum phenytoin and increase in seizure activity with folic acid preparations

· Decreased absorption with sulfasalazine, aminosalicyclic acid



Nursing considerations


CLINICAL ALERT!

Name confusion has been reported between folinic acid (leucovorin) and folic acid; use extreme caution.

· Administer orally if at all possible. With severe GI malabsorption or very severe disease, give IM, SC, or IV.

· Test using Schilling test and serum vitamin B12 levels to rule out pernicious anemia. Therapy may mask signs of pernicious anemia while the neurologic deterioration continues.

· Use caution when giving the parenteral preparations to premature infants. These preparations contain benzyl alcohol, may produce a fatal gasping syndrome in premature infants.

· Monitor patient for hypersensitivity reactions, especially if drug previously taken. Maintain supportive equipment and emergency drugs on standby in case of serious allergic response.


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