Main description:

The 'Nurses' Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice' is a handy pocketbook designed to provide succinct information on a wide variety of drugs that nurses need to look up quickly. It provides an understandable and detailed account of common drugs and their actions. The level is suitable for all nurses in practice, including qualified and student nurses, as well as those taking Supplementary Prescribing Courses and will also be useful to other healthcare professionals .  Pocket sized and easily transportable, it will become a constant companion both in ward and community environments. As well as the more routine use of drugs in clinical practice it covers emergency situations, such as cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis.

Contents:

SECTION 1 Principles of Pharmacology

1.1 Introduction to pharmacology

1.2 The law, drugs, prescribing and medicines management

1.3 Formulation and administration

1.4 Pharmacokinetics

1.5 Pharmacodynamics

1.6 Adverse drug reactions

SECTION 2 Autonomic Nervous System

2.1 Autonomic nervous system - overview

2.2 Adrenergic pharmacology

2.3 Cholinergic pharmacology

SECTION 3 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia

3.1 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia - overview

3.2 Opioid analgesia

3.3 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol

3.4 Anaesthesia

SECTION 4 Central Nervous System

4.1 Central nervous system - overview

4.2 Chemical transmission in the brain

4.3 Epilepsy

4.4 Antipsychotics

4.5 Antidepressants and mood stabilisers

4.6 Anxiolytics and hypnotics

4.7 Neurodegenerative disorders

SECTION 5 Cardiovascular System

5.1 Cardiovascular system - overview

5.2 Hypertension

5.3 Atherosclerosis and lipid-lowering drugs

5.4 Ischaemic heart disease

5.5 Cardiac arrhythmias

5.6 Cardiac failure

5.7 Antithrombotics

SECTION 6 Respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal systems

6.1 Respiratory system

6.2 Renal system and diuretics

6.3 Gastrointestinal tract

SECTION 7 Endocrine System

7.1 Endocrine pancreas and diabetes mellitus

7.2 Pituitary gland and adrenal cortex

7.3 Disorders of bone and bone metabolism

7.4 Sex hormones

7.5 Pregnancy

SECTION 8 Chemotherapy

8.1 Cancer chemotherapy

8.2 Antimicrobial drugs

SECTION 9 Other areas of pharmacology

9.1 Herbal medicines

9.2 Paediatric pharmacology

9.3 Drugs and the elderly

9.4 Topical drugs

9.5 Emergency treatment of poisoning

References

Further reading

Appendix: drug measurement and calculation