Acyclovir (Zovirax) Nursing Considerations
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For Acyclovir (Zovirax) Nursing Considerations
Outline
Acyclovir Audio Lecture
[lesson-linker lesson=”10424″ background=”white”]
Transcript
Hey guys, let’s talk about acyclovir. Also known as Zovirax, acyclovir comes in a tablet form, which you can see here in this picture, but also in a capsule, oral suspension IV, and even a topical ointment. Okay, guys, remember that the therapeutic class is what the drug does to the body and the pharmacologic class is the actual chemical effect that the drug has. So acyclovir is an antiviral medication that helps to slow the growth of viral infections in the body. The pharmacologic class of acyclovir is it is a purine analog, which, long story short, means it blocks the replication of the viral DNA. So, guys, the action of acyclovir is that it interferes with the viral DNA synthesis, meaning it stops the spread of the virus. Acyclovir is used to treat infections that are caused by the herpes virus, like genital or oral herpes, herpes, zoster, or shingles, and varicella, also known as chickenpox. Important: acyclovir will not cure the herpes virus; it only stops the growth and treats the symptoms. So side effects aren’t super common with acyclovir, but the ones that we often see are an overall sense of malaise or fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and a headache.
So guys remember to assess your patient for renal impairment or seizure disorders because acyclovir can make these issues worse. Use caution in immunocompromised. Patients’ doses may need to be altered. Monitor the lesions to see if the treatment is working and remember to teach your patient to use protection with sexual intercourse, and to always take the full dose of the medication. Guys, I once had a patient in a clinic that was under the impression that they would be cured of general herpes after taking acyclovir. Remember to teach your patient that this medication will not cure only help the disease process. That’s it for acyclovir or Zovirax. Now go out and be your best self today and as always happy nursing.
Tiona RN
Concepts Covered:
- Studying
- Medication Administration
- Adult
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Microbiology
- Cardiac Disorders
- Vascular Disorders
- Nervous System
- Upper GI Disorders
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Immunological Disorders
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Dosage Calculations
- Understanding Society
- Circulatory System
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Hematologic Disorders
- Newborn Care
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Postoperative Nursing
- Pregnancy Risks
- Neurological
- Postpartum Complications
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Learning Pharmacology
- Prenatal Concepts
- Tissues and Glands
- Developmental Considerations
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Developmental Theories
- Basic
- Neonatal
- Pediatric
- Gastrointestinal
- Newborn Complications
- Labor Complications
- Fetal Development
- Terminology
- Labor and Delivery
- Postpartum Care
- Communication
- Basics of Mathematics
- Statistics
- Basics of Sociology
- Cardiovascular
- Shock
- Shock
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Endocrine
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Lower GI Disorders
- Respiratory
- Delegation
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Documentation and Communication
- Preoperative Nursing
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Oncology Disorders
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Renal Disorders
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Integumentary Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient
- Urinary Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Neurological Emergencies
- Disorders of Thermoregulation
- Neurological Trauma
- Basics of NCLEX
- Integumentary Important Points
- Multisystem
- Test Taking Strategies
- Urinary System
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Respiratory System
- Emergency Care of the Respiratory Patient
- Cognitive Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depressive Disorders
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Health & Stress
- Psychological Emergencies
- Somatoform Disorders
- Prioritization
- Community Health Overview
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Respiratory Disorders
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Hematologic Disorders
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Behavior
- Emotions and Motivation
- Growth & Development
- Intelligence and Language
- Psychological Disorders
- State of Consciousness
- Note Taking
- Concepts of Population Health
- Basics of Human Biology