Problem
Case study: Benzodiazepines
Daria, 23 years old, is scheduled to have her wisdom teeth removed under procedural sedation with a benzodiazepine. Her friends describe her as the "life of the party" with nearly daily consumption of alcohol. She lives alone in the country, just down the road from her older adult parents.
OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION:
Temperature - 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit
Weight - 64.5 kg
Height - 5 feet & 2 inches tall
Task
A. What are the safety concerns for Daria?
B. What adverse effects might you expect to see in Daria's situation? What is the difference between adverse effect and side effect?
C. If Daria does not go into work the next morning, what would be the priority action? What patient teaching is essential to prevent a harmful outcome?
D. What measures would be taken if Daria comes into the emergency department unconscious from a mixture of alcohol and benzodiazepines?
E. Doctors order: Citalopram 40mg OD PO and you only have 10mg tablets of citalopram on hand. How many tablets would you administer to the patient?
F. Convert Darla's temperature into Celsius, her weight into pounds, and her height into centimeters.