Question

A 45 year old male enters your office to discuss the use of oral medication that will treat his fungal toenails, but has heard that the medication can cause problems with the liver.

While you explain to the patient that the liver is in fact a big filter where medications do pass through, what are some questions you can ask the patient about their past medical history, to ensure that oral medication is an option for him? What lab tests are performed on the patient to see if they are a candidate for oral medication?

Answer 1

The questions that I can ask to the client are -

i. If he was suffering from any chronic illness previously? If he was till continuing those medications? If yes then in which form and route he has to take medications?

ii. Any previous history of hospitalization? If yes then duration of hospitalization?

iii. Any previous history of surgery? Name of surgary, date and time of surgary has to ask.

iv. What is your blood group?

v. Immunization history of the client if possible?

vi. Have you any known food or drug allergies?

vii. Have you previously suffered from any hepatic or kindney disease?

The lab tests has to perform on the patient to see if they are a candidate for oral medication are described below -

a) Liver Function Test = it is a blood test of liver enzymes to see how much your liver is healthy. Here the total billirubin, total blood protein , SGPT and SGOT amount. It helps to detect how much liver is healthy for filtering the drug properly.

b) kidney function test = this is a blood test to detect how much kidney is healthy to eliminate the drug from blood. Here the level of urea, creatinine, albumin creatinine ratio, and GFR ( Glomerular filtration rate) has to test.

c) Therapeutic drug monitoring = here the measurement of specific drug and there breakdown products at time intervals to maintain a relatively constant concentration of the medication in the blood.

d) complete blood count = here the total count of blood components has to measure. Like as total RBC, WBC, Platelet count, hemoglobin, hematocrit level has to measure meanly.