Main description:

With the important part played by nurses in the administration of drugs and in recording their effects, an understanding of pharmacology and its application to patient care is an integral part of pre-registration nursing education. This popular textbook gives an up-to-date account of the action and use of drugs in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as exploring the principles underlying drug usage.

The eighteenth edition of this highly successful textbook builds on the foundation of its predecessors by bringing the text fully up to date with developments in the world of clinical pharmacology and current trends in clinical practice.

Comprehensive coverage of all major drug classes giving a thorough grounding for clinical work

Highly readable text facilitates understanding of a complex subject

Learning objectives and summaries in each chapter help students to learn

Case studies help link theory to practice

Nursing points and special points for patient education are highlighted throughout the text to link theory with practice

The book also includes detailed information on alternative treatments such as homoeopathy, herbalism.

An extensive glossary explains some of the very technical jargon in the field

text fully updated in line with developments in clinical pharmacology and current trends in clinical practice.

now in 2-colour

references to useful websites included

new and improved illustrations

Contents:

Foreword. Preface. Glossary. Introduction. The use of pharmaceuticals. The role of nurses in drug administration. Nurses and the pharmaceutical service. The autonomic nervous system, asthma, 5-hydroxytryptamine and migraine. Drugs acting on the heart. Drugs used for blood pressure. Atheroma and thrombosis: anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents. Drugs affecting the alimentary tract Emetics and anti-emetics, cough remedies, respiratory stimulants Narcotic analgesics. Anti-inflammatory drugs: treatment of arthritis and gout Drugs affecting the kidney and renal function. Endocrine system I: The hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Endocrine system II: Hormones and metabolism: thyroid, parathyroid glands, calcitonin and osteoporosis. Endocrine system III: Hormones and metabolism: insulin, diabetes mellitus and obesity. Endocrine system IV: Hormones and metabolism: the adrenal glands. Endocrine system V: Hormones and reproduction. CNS 1: General anaesthesia , local anaesthetics and resuscitation. CNS 2: Epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. CNS 3: Antipsychotics, anxiolytics and hypnotics. CNS 4: Antidepressants and dementias. CNS 5: Drug dependence (drug addiction). Chemotherapy I: Antibacterial drugs. Chemotherapy II: Antifungal and antiviral agents: treatment of HIV disease. Chemotherapy III: Sera and vaccines. Chemotherapy IV: Drugs used in the treatment of malignant disease. Chemotherapy V: Treatment of tropical and imported diseases; anthelmintics. Chemotherapy VI: Drugs and the eye Application of drugs to the skin, nose and ears. Vitamins, iron and treatment of anaemia. Drugs in pregnancy and at the extremes of age. Adverse reactions to drugs: testing of drugs and pharmacovigilance. Disinfectants and insecticides. Poisoning and its treatment. Herbal medicines (phytotherapy) and homeopathy. Appendix. Index