Iodine Nursing Considerations

Hey guys, let’s talk about iodine or radioactive iodine. Also known as S S K thro safe and thro shield. This is an oral medication, as you can see here. So the therapeutic class of iodine or how it works in the body is an antithyroid agent while the pharmacologic class or the chemical effect is an iodine containing agent. So iodine works by inhibiting the release of the thyroid hormones, which is why it is indicated as a pre-treatment to a thyroidectomy procedure, a thyrotoxic crisis, radiation exposure, and for the control of hyperthyroidism. So some of the side effects that we see with iodine are typically GI related, and these can include things like GI bleeding and diarrhea, a few nursing considerations for, I dine, be sure to monitor the patient for a hypersensitivity to the drug, know that because of iodine’s action of inhibiting thyroid hormone, this may cause a goiter or even hypothyroidism, and be sure to teach the patient that iodine must be taken exactly as directed. So guys with radioactive iodine, it is super important that in women of childbearing age, they must have a negative pregnancy tests within 48 hours before starting their first dose of iodine. 

That’s it for iodine or SSK. I thro safe thro shield. Now go out and be your best self today and as always happy nursing and.