Fluticasone (Flonase) Nursing Considerations

Hey guys, let’s talk about fluticasone also known as Flonase or Flovent. This is an inhaled medication, as you can see here in the slide. So remember the therapeutic class is how the drug works in the body. The pharmacologic class is the chemical effect of the drug. The therapeutic class of fluticasone is an anti asmatic and an anti-inflammatory while the pharmacologic class is a corticosteroid. So fluticasone works as a locally acting anti-inflammatory in the lungs, which is why it’s used as a prophylactic asthma treatment. Fluticasone and other inhalation agents do sometimes cause side effects that can include headache, insomnia, and nasal congestion. So let’s take a look at a few nursing considerations for Fluticasone. It is important to mention that this medication may cause adrenal suppression and bronchospasms. Use caution in patients who have untreated infections and who are also immunosuppressed. Monitor the patient’s respiratory status while using fluticasone to be sure the respiratory status is not worsening. Fluticasone may cause decreased bone density, so keep that in mind. Be sure to teach your patient to stop smoking if they in fact smoke. And also if they use bronchodilators as well as corticosteroids, they need to use the bronchodilators first to open up the airways. So remember with inhaled agents like fluticasone, sometimes thrush or fungal infection can occur. So be sure to teach your patient to rinse their mouth after using fluticasone. That’s it for fluticasone or Flonase or Flovent. Now go out and be your best self today and as always happy nursing.