Adverse drug effects

Jennifer C. Kelly

This practical guide to pharmacology is unusual in its approach. Instead of examining the normal effects of drugs this book looks at the adverse effects. With the advent of nurse prescribing it is essential that nurses are familiar with the common adverse effects, how to recognise them and how to deal with them. The book is divided into three sections. The first examines the pharmacology of drugs i.e. what the body does to drugs (pharmocokinetics), what the drugs do to the body (pharmocodynamics), and how adverse reactions can result from these two processes. Section two looks at putting the scientific knowledge into action through an examination of nurse administration and prescribing, drug development and the issue of patient compliance and empowerment. Section three consists of twelve case studies which describe various scenarios in which there have been adverse drug effects. Throughout the book concepts are explained using examples so that the nurse can relate the concept of adverse effect to the drugs she is familiar with.