Acyclovir (Zovirax) Nursing Considerations
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Acyclovir Audio Lecture
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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.
Katies NCLEX
Concepts Covered:
- Test Taking Strategies
- Medication Administration
- Adult
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Microbiology
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depressive Disorders
- Nervous System
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Dosage Calculations
- Understanding Society
- Circulatory System
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Studying
- Newborn Care
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Respiratory Disorders
- Pregnancy Risks
- Neurological
- Postpartum Complications
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Learning Pharmacology
- Psychotic Disorders
- Prenatal Concepts
- Tissues and Glands
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Concepts of Population Health
- Community Health Overview
- Developmental Considerations
- Communication
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Cardiovascular
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Emergency Care of the Respiratory Patient
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient
- Delegation
- Multisystem
- Health & Stress
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Developmental Theories
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Gastrointestinal
- Newborn Complications
- Labor Complications
- Fetal Development
- Terminology
- Labor and Delivery
- Postpartum Care
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Proteins
- Statistics
- Med Term Basic
- Med Term Whole
- Cardiac Disorders
- Preoperative Nursing
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Vascular Disorders
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Upper GI Disorders
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Shock
- Immunological Disorders
- Postoperative Nursing
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Hematologic Disorders
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Neurological Trauma
- Neurological Emergencies
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- EENT Disorders
- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Shock
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Endocrine
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Lower GI Disorders
- Respiratory
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Documentation and Communication
- Oncology Disorders
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Cognitive Disorders
- Renal Disorders
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Integumentary Disorders
- Urinary Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Disorders of Thermoregulation
- Basics of NCLEX
- Integumentary Important Points
- Urinary System
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Respiratory System
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Eating Disorders
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- Psychological Emergencies
- Somatoform Disorders
- Prioritization
- Hematologic Disorders
- Cardiovascular Disorders
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- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Behavior
- Emotions and Motivation
- Growth & Development
- Intelligence and Language
- Psychological Disorders
- State of Consciousness
- Basics of Sociology
- Note Taking
- Basics of Human Biology