DRUG STUDY

Prescribed and
BRAND NAME recommended
Mechanism of Nursing
GENERIC NAME dosage, Indication Contraindication Adverse Reaction
Action Responsibilities
CLASSIFICATION frequency, route
of administration
BRAND NAME: PRESCRIBED Blocks binding of  To manage Hypersensitivity CNS: Dizziness,  In some
Losartan DOSAGE: angiotensin II to hypertension to losartan or its fatigue, patients,
Potassium 50 mg receptor sites in  To treat components headache, losartan is
many tissues, nephropathy insomnia, malaise more
GENERIC NAME: FREQUENCY: including vascular in patients CV: Hypotension effective
Cozaar BID (twice a day) smooth muscle with type 2 EENT: Nasal when given in
and adrenal diabetes and congestion GI: two divided
CLASSIFICATION: ROUTE OF glands. hypertension Diarrhea, doses daily; it
Chemical class: ADMINISTRATION Angiotensin II is a  To reduce indigestion, may be used
Angiotensin II : potent stroke risk in nausea, vomiting with other
receptor Oral vasoconstrictor patients with HEME: antihypertens
antagonist that also hypertension Thrombocytopeni ive.
Therapeutic class: RECOMMENDED stimulates the and left a  Know that
Antihypertensive DOSAGE AND adrenal cortex to ventricular MS: Back pain, leg patients of
Pregnancy FREQUENCY: secrete hypertrophy pain, muscle African
category: C (first Initial: 50 mg aldosterone. The spasms descent with
trimester), D daily. inhibiting effects RESP: Cough, hypertension
(later trimesters) Maintenance: 25 of angiotensin II upper respiratory and left
to 100 mg as a reduce blood tract infection ventricular
single dose or in pressure. SKIN: hypertrophy
divided doses Erythroderma may not
b.i.d. Other: benefit from
Angioedema, losartan to
hyperkalemia, reduce stroke
hyponatremia risk.
 WARNING: Be
aware that
 patients who
have severe
heart failure
or renal
artery
stenosis may
experience
acute renal
failure from
losartan
therapy
because
losartan
inhibits the
angiotensin-
aldosterone
system, on
which renal
function
depends.
 Monitor
blood
pressure and
renal function
studies to
evaluate drug
effectiveness.
 Periodically
monitor
patient’s
serum
potassium
level, as
appropriate,
 to detect
hyperkalemia.
 Monitor
patient for
muscle pain;
rarely,
rhabdomyolys
is develops in
patients
taking other
angiotensin II
receptor
blockers
Source: Jones & Bartlett Learning (2011), Nurse’s Drug Handbook.