Nursing Teaching on Precautions to be Exercised While Taking Fluconazole
Nurse educated the patient and caregiver on precautions to be exercised while taking Fluconazole as follows
- Discuss with your doctor regarding any previous allergic responses you experienced with antifungal antibiotics belonging to the Azoles group, such as, Itraconazole, and Miconazole.
- Patients with history of antibiotic associated diarrhea must be cautious about using Fluconazole. Discuss with your doctor regarding your history of the same. Report to your doctor regarding any persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, and blood or mucus in the stool. These findings could occur even weeks after discontinuation of Fluconazole and must be reported.
- Fluconazole carries the risk of causing dizziness and confusion. These responses can significantly increase, if Fluconazole were taken with alcohol. Avoid taking Fluconazole with alcohol. One should stay away from activities, such as, driving and operating heavy machinery, until they are used to the side effects caused by Fluconazole.
- Fluconazole intake can result in skin rash ranging between mild to severe exfoliating rash, blisters, easy bleeding, and bruising. Individuals with history of exfoliating skin rashes and taking Fluconazole should be cautious about using this antibiotic. Discuss with your doctor about your safety with using this antibiotic.
- Observe compliance with any regular lab work ordered. As Fluconazole carries the risk for damage to the liver, hepatic function could be periodically monitored, to prevent risk for toxicity. Watch closely to report any symptoms of itching, jaundice with yellowing of skin and sclera, dark urine, altered metabolism with nausea and vomiting, pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant, and fatigue suggesting damage to the liver.
- Fluconazole is significantly excreted unchanged in urine. Individuals with compromised renal functions tend to retain the drug in the circulation longer, thus resulting in toxicity. Renal function could be periodically monitored, to prevent risk for toxicity. Fluconazole should be avoided or used with extreme caution in such individuals. Any exacerbation of symptoms of renal injury and altered kidney function, such as, altered levels of consciousness and reduced urine formation, should be closely watched for and reported to the physician.
- Close watch for signs and symptoms of arrhythmias must be maintained in individuals with history of cardiac arrhythmias, as Fluconazole has the potential to exacerbate any underlying arrhythmias. Compliance with blood work ordered to monitor serum potassium and magnesium ions is mandatory.
- Evenly space out the doses of the antibiotic and take the dose at the scheduled time every day. Keeping to the schedule helps with maintaining a constant level of the antibiotic in the body, which is needed for infection control. Also, this helps to avoid forgetting the medication.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of Fluconazole as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. The dose and length of treatment depends upon the medical condition, severity of infection, and response to treatment.
- Complete the course of the antibiotic that it was prescribed for. Do not give up on the antibiotic, against your doctor’s recommendation, even if the symptoms of infection are controlled.
- Noncompliance with Fluconazole intake for the complete schedule can result in ineffective infection control with chance of relapse of infection with increased vigor. This can also contribute towards emergence of drug resistant strains of fungi, making infection control more difficult.
- Do not change the dose on Fluconazole without consulting your doctor.
- In patients with GERD, taking Omeprazole, Fluconazole can inhibit the metabolism of Omeprazole, thus elevating the blood levels of Omeprazole for a longer duration, causing increased nausea, vomiting, and flatulence. Space Fluconazole out by at least 2 hours from taking Omeprazole to avoid this complication. Discuss with your doctor regarding other medications you take regularly and any possible interactions they can have with Fluconazole.
- Watch out for any continuing or worsening signs and symptoms of infection, to report to your doctor immediately, so that, a change in plan could be considered.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
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