Diazepam (Valium) Nursing Considerations
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For Diazepam (Valium) Nursing Considerations
Outline
Generic Name
Diazepam
Trade Name
Valium
Indication
Anxiety, pre-op sedation, conscious sedation, treatment of seizures, insomnia,
management of alcohol withdrawal
Action
Decreases the effects of voltage gated sodium channels to depresses the CNS
Therapeutic Class
Antianxiety agents, anticonvulsants, sedative/hypnotics, skeletal muscle relax-
ants (centrally acting)
Pharmacologic Class
Benzodiazepine
Nursing Considerations
• Contraindicated in hepatic dysfunction
• Use caution with renal impairment
• Can cause dizziness, drowsiness, lethargy, hypotension, physical depen-
dence, tolerance
• Instruct patient to take as directed
• Caution to avoid alcohol use
• Flumazenil (Romazicon) is the reversal agent
Transcript
Hey guys, let’s talk about diazepam also known as Valium. This is an oral medication, as you can see here in the picture, but it also comes in other forms like an injectable form. So when we think about the therapeutic class of a drug, this is how the drug works in the body while the pharmacologic class is the chemical effect. So for diazepam’s therapeutic class, it’s an anti-anxiety agent, also an anti-convulsant a sedative-hypnotic, and a skeletal muscle relaxant that is centrally acting. The pharmacologic class of diazepam is a benzodiazepine. So diazepam works by decreasing the effects of voltage-gated sodium channels that depress the central nervous system. We use diazepam for anxiety for conscious sedation treatment of seizures, insomnia, and also alcohol withdrawal. So remember diazepam works by depressing the central nervous system. So it makes sense that some of the side effects include drowsiness and lethargy also hypotension and dizziness.
Let’s take a look at a few nursing considerations, use caution in patients with renal impairment and also in patients who have hepatic dysfunction. Super important to know that diazepam can cause physical dependence and tolerance. If administering diazepam, be sure that the reversal agent flumazenil or Romazicon is readily available. And guys, this is especially important if you work in the ER setting and you have a patient that comes in unresponsive and a drug overdose is suspected, especially if you do not the drug that may have been used. And finally, guys, because there is such a risk of dependence and tolerance, you must teach the patient to only take this medication as directed and to avoid alcohol use. That’s it for diazepam or Valium. Now go out and be your best self today. And as always happy nursing, the.
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
- Personality Disorders
- Psychological Emergencies
- Somatoform Disorders
- Prioritization
- 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
- Basics of Sociology
- Note Taking
- Basics of Human Biology