In: Nursing
Often when a patient is taking nutritional supplements or herbal remedies, these are not disclosed with other medications. Discuss the reasons for this and how a nurse can overcome this issue. Also, discuss the consequences of this failure to disclose the medications. Provide two specific examples of how this can have serious consequences.
Supplements
Supplement is a vitamin , herbal extract or a chemical compound ingested to meet dietary deficiencies or enhance muscular development. Herbal extract are obtained from herbs.
Reasons for the non disclosure of the information regarding the consumption of herbal extracts and supplements:
Throughout the world half of the older adults are using some form of the hebal extracts and nutritional supplements yet most of them are not disclosing this information to their consultant physician or the doctors. The reasons of this nondisclosure might be:
* Most of the people are thinking that
- the herbal remedies and supplements are not coming under the drug category
- these supplements and remedies will not be harmful to the body, they are neutral substances
- Herbal remedies can't produce any side effects as it is derived from natural herbs.
* people think that some doctors are not preferring or believing in any use of herbal remedies and they may restrict it , if they come to know about it.
Nurse's role :
Nurse's can overcome this issue of failure of disclosure of the information regarding supplements and herbal remedies to the physician by the implementation of certain measures such as:
* Collecting detailed history of consumption of any herbal remedies and supplements
* Educating the patients and families regarding the drug interactions and its adverse effect.
* Collecting detailed past medical , treatment history and current medications and any side effects.
* Encourage the patient to talk openly to the doctor and pharmacist regarding the supplements and herbal remedies that they take.
Consequences of failure to disclose the medications:
Serious consequences can occur as a result of drug interactions. Drugs can interact with some of the herbal remedies and nutritional supplements and may decreas the effect of the drug. Certain supplements can intensify the effect of drug that might be harmful for the patient's life. Drug interactions may increase the side effect of the drug and this combination may do harm to the liver and kidneys also.
Examples:
* Many nutritional supplements can interact with Coumadin and may decrease or intensify its effect. both are dangerous. Coumadin is a blood thinner. The supplements that interact with Coumadin are vitamin E, garlic, green tea, St.John's wort, ginseng etc. example of one interaction : Garlic can increase the risk of bleeding, buy intensifying the Coumadin effect.
* St.John's wort can interact with many drugs, especially contraceptives and it may reduce the effect of contraceptives and as a result the chance of unplanned pregnancy can increase.