Celecoxib (Celebrex) Nursing Considerations

Hey guys, let’s talk about celecoxib also known as Celebrex. This is an oral medication, as you can see here, this picture of a capsule. 

So remember that the therapeutic class is what the drug does in the body while the pharmacologic class is the actual chemical effect. So with that said, the therapeutic class of celecoxib is an Antirheumatic/NSAID, and the pharmacologic class is a COX-2 inhibitor. So what is the mechanism action of celecoxib? It decreases pain and inflammation by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are what can cause that inflammation and pain. We use celecoxib for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and also acute pain. So guys, if you have a pediatric patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and they have a difficult time with pills, you can always open up that capsule and mix it with apple sauce to make it easier for the child to take. 

So what are some of the side effects that we see with this medication? Sometimes we see things like heartburn and abdominal pain, as well as constipation and often dizziness, which most commonly is seen in patients who have been taking the medication for less than a month. So let’s review some of the nursing considerations with Celecoxib. There is an increased risk for myocardial infarction, CVA or cerebrovascular accident, or even thrombosis. So make sure to keep this in mind with patients who already have cardiovascular disease and use caution. This medication may lead to GI bleeding, Stevens, Johnson syndrome, and also dermatitis. You must help the patient to know how important it is to report new-onset abdominal pain or black stool, as guys, this can be a sign of a GI bleed. Also, guys, there have been cases of Celecoxib-induced hepatitis and also acute pancreatitis. So if your patient is on Celecoxib and they present with these issues, make that connection between this medication and the issue, because Celecoxib just could be the cause. That’s it for a or Celebrex. Now go out and be your best self today. And as always happy nursing.