Drugs Affecting The Body System - Endocrine System
Drugs Affecting The Body System - Endocrine System
Drugs Affecting The Body System - Endocrine System
➢ Metabolism of nutrients
➢ Reproduction
➢ Growth and development
➢ Adapting to change in internal and external environments
➢ Body defenses
➢ Regulation of cellular metabolism and energy balance
Hormones
- Chemical substances secreted by the cells into the extracellular fluids that
stimulate or regulate metabolic activity of other cells in the body.
Endocrine Drugs
- Hormones are pharmacologically classified as drugs
- Can be natural (from animals), semi-synthetic or synthetic compounds
Indications:
a. Replacement therapy
b. Treatment for certain disorders
c. Diagnostic purposes
Pituitary
● The pituitary gland is located in the skull in the bony sella
turcica under a layer of dura mater.
● It is divided into three lobes: an anterior lobe, a posterior lobe,
and an intermediate lobe.
● anterior lobe produces stimulating hormones in response to
hypothalamic stimulation.
● pituitary lobe stores ADH and oxytocin.
● Intermediate lobe produces endorphins and enkephalins to
modulate pain perception.
● Drugs that affect anterior pituitary hormones mimic or
antagonize the effects of specific pituitary hormones.
● The anterior pituitary hormone that is most commonly used
pharmacologically is growth hormone (GH).
ANTERIOR PITUITARY HORMONE
DRUGS
Growth Hormone Agonists
Therapeutic Action:
- Somatropin is used to treat growth failure in children and adults who lack
natural growth hormone. This includes people with short stature due to
Noonan syndrome, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, short stature at
birth with no catch-up growth, and other causes.
SOMATROPIN
Indications:
Contraindications:
● Hypersensitivity to drug/class/component
● Caution if hepatic impairment, elevated lfts, gh secreting tumors, diabetes
mellitus.
SOMATROPIN
Side Effects:
Teaching Point:
● Instruct patient and parents on correct procedure for reconstituting medication, site
selection, technique for subcut injection, and disposal of needles and syringes.
Review dose schedule. Parents should report persistent pain or edema at the
injection site.
● Advise parents to monitor blood glucose closely in children with diabetes mellitus.
Parents should also be advised to report persistent severe abdominal pain; may be
a symptom of pancreatitis, and signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions
(rash, facial swelling, difficulty breathing) immediately to health care professional.
● Emphasize need for regular follow-up with endocrinologist to ensure appropriate
growth rate, to evaluate lab work, and to determine bone age by x-ray exam.
Growth Hormone Antagonists
● GH hypersecretion is usually caused by pituitary tumors and can occur at any time of
life.
● Gigantism occurs before the epiphyseal plates of the long bones fuse and cause
acceleration in linear skeletal growth. Individuals with gigantism can reach 7 to 8 feet
in height with fairly normal body proportions.
● Acromegaly is a form of hyperpituitarism after epiphyseal closure (adults). As linear
growth is impossible, hypersecretion of GH causes enlargement in the peripheral
parts of the body such as hands and feet as well as internal organs (heart).
BROMOCRIPTINE
- Being a dopamine agonist, it stimulates dopamine receptors, inhibits anterior
pituitary prolactin secretion.
Therapeutic Action:
- Relief of rigidity and tremor in parkinsonism. Restoration of fertility in
hyperprolactinemia. Decreased growth hormone in acromegaly.
Indication:
- Hyperprolactinemic states.
BROMOCRIPTINE
Contraindications:
- Uncontrolled hypertension and sensitivity to any ergot alkaloids, uncontrolled
hypertension.
- Avoid abrupt withdrawal of the drug
Side Effects:
● Blurred vision ● feeling, seeing, or hearing things that are not there
● chest pain or discomfort ● feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
● difficulty in speaking ● feeling that others are watching you or controlling your
● dizziness or lightheadedness, behavior
● double vision ● feeling that others can hear your thoughts
● headache
BROMOCRIPTINE
Available Forms: Tablets and Capsules
● Monitor vital signs closely during the first few days and periodically throughout
therapy.
● Lab tests: Periodic CBC, liver functions and renal functions with prolonged therapy.
● Monitor for and report psychotic symptoms and other adverse reactions in
Parkinson's patients because larger doses are used.
● Improvement in Parkinson's disease may be noted in 30–90 min following
administration of bromocriptine, with maximum effect in 2 h.
BROMOCRIPTINE
Teaching Point:
● Make position changes slowly and in stages, especially from lying down to
standing, and to dangle legs over bed for a few minutes before walking. Lie
down immediately if light-headedness or dizziness occurs.
● Do not drive or engage in other potentially hazardous activities until response
to drug is known.
● Avoid exposure to cold and report the onset of pallor of fingers or toes.
● Note: Patients may have temporary rebound breast enlargement and pain
following drug withdrawal.
BROMOCRIPTINE
Teaching Point:
THYROID GLAND
● Produces hormones Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine which
influence growth, development and metabolism.
● Production of this hormones depends on the thyroid gland
receiving iodine from the body
● THYROXINE (T4)
● TRIIODOTHYRONINE (T3)
THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE
The TSH released from the anterior pituitary and is stimulated when the blood
levels of T3 and T4 are low.
HYPOTHYROIDISM
A condition characterized by diminished production of the thyroid hormone.
● Primary hypothyroidism stems from an abnormality in the gland itself
● Secondary hypothyroidism begins at the level of the pituitary gland and the
result from the reduced levels of TSH
● The third type is caused by reduction in the amount of TRH of thyrotropin
releasing hormone by the hypothalamus
HYPOTHYROIDISM- ADULTS
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
● Weight Gain
● Constipation
● Fatigue
● Edema
Hypothyroidism
● All newborns are tested birth for thyroid function
● If untreated it can lead to retardation due to effects on brain development.
EXAMPLE OF DRUGS
INDICATIONS:
LEVOTHYROXINE SODIUM- indicated as replacement therapy in primary
(thyroidal), secondary (pituitary) and tertiary (hypothalamic) congenital or acquired
hypothyroidism
LIOTHYRONINE- is indicated for use as replacement or supplemental treatment for
hypothyroidism of an etiology.
Available forms for Levothyroxine
It comes by tablet or liquid that swallow.
Contraindications:
Adverse reactions:
Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to any components of Liothyronine sodium hard capsules.
Patients with angina of effort or cardiovascular diseases and thyrotoxicosis.
Side Effects
● Anxiety.
● arm, back, or jaw pain.
● blurred or double vision.
● chest pain or discomfort.
● chest tightness or heaviness.
Causes:
Graves disease
PTU OR PROPYLTHIOURACIL
● Most common drug used in hyperthyroidism
● Will take about two weeks before the client will see change
Nursing Considerations- Antithyroid drugs
Determine baseline vital signs including weight changes for future comparison
● Fever
● Tachycardia
● Heart failure
● Flush skin
● hypotension
Teaching points
General:
● Instruct patients that certain foods can interfere with the absorption of thyroid
hormones such as soy products, broccoli and cabbage, iodized salt, coffee
● Follow-up is important to monitor dosing and therapeutic effects of the drug
therapy.
Anti-diabetic Drugs
Pancreas
- Is a mixed gland
Exocrine portion
Endocrine portion
Therapeutic Actions:
Types of Insulin
● Rapid-short insulin
● Intermediate insulin
● Long -acting insulin
Contraindications of Insulin
● No contraindications as it is a replacement hormone. However, close
monitoring is needed among pregnant and lactating women to adjust the dose
accordingly.
● Hypersensitivity to drug/class/component
● Dosage may need to be reduced in severe renal impairment
● Nursing Implementation
❏ Monitor nutritional status
❏ Gently rotate the vial containing the agent and avoid vigorous shaking
❏ Rotate injection sites
❏ Monitor response carefully to avoid adverse effects.
● Evaluation
❏ Monitor patient response to therapy
❏ Monitor for adverse effects
❏ Evaluate patient understanding on drug therapy
❏ Monitor patient compliance to drug therapy
Teaching Points:
❏ How to administer insulin
❏ Review insulin pen administration
❏ Blood glucose monitoring
❏ Diabetes supplies
Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs Classification
● Insulin secretagogues
● Biguanides
● Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
● Thiazolidinedione derivatives
Examples of Insulin Secretagogues
● Sulfonylureas
- Stimulate pancreatic release of insulin
- Inhibit pancreatic release of glucagons
- Increase insulin receptor binding
- Decrease hepatic extraction of insulin
Examples:
Contraindications:
● Allergy to sulfonylureas
● Type 1 diabetes
● Pregnancy and lactation
Side Effects:
● Hypoglycemia
● GI distress ( nausea, vomiting, epigastric discomfort)
● Allergic skin reactions
Nursing Considerations:
Therapeutic Actions:
helps to control the amount of glucose in the blood.
Indications:
Type 2 diabetes prevention, gestational diabetes, treatment and prevention of PCOS
Contraindications:
Renal dysfunction, Hypersensitivity to metformin, impaired hepatic function,
Congestive cardiac failure needing drug treatment, and acute or chronic metabolic
acidosis. Pregnancy, lactation
❏ Liquid or Solution
❏ Tablet
Nursing Considerations
2. Adrenal Androgens
Adrenal cortex
-is the outer region and also the largest part of an adrenal gland.
Glucocorticoids
- Endogenous: Cortisol, Cortisone, Corticosterone, Hydrocortisone
- Essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
- They enhance response of the vascular and bronchial smooth muscles to
catecholamines
Glucocorticoids
Therapeutic uses: Allergy, Inflammation of joints and bones, skin disease, organ
transplant immunosuppression, Pulmonary Diseases - Bronchial Asthma & COPD.
Adverse Effects: Cushing’s syndrome, adrenal suppression, osteoporosis, PUD,
impaired wound healing, cataract, hyperglycemia
Addison’s Disease
- Hypersecretion of andrenocorticosteriods
- Characterized by: anorexia, dehydration, weakness and lethargy, hyper
pigmentation
Addison’s disease:
Cushing’s Syndrome
- Hypersecretion of
adrenocorticosteroids
Disorders:
Therapeutic actions:
● used to treat and prevent low levels of calcium and bone disease in patients whose
kidneys or parathyroid glands are not working normally.
● it is also used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Indications:
Side effects: The most common side effect of calcitriol include headache,
drowsiness, as well as a dry mouth and a metallic taste.
Teaching point:
● Warn patient not to take other forms of vitamin D while taking calcitriol.
● Instruct patient to take a missed dose as soon as possible.
● Advise patients to notify prescriber immediately if signs of toxicity develop.
Hyperparathyroidism
Calcitonin
Therapeutic actions:
● Inhibits bone resorption and lowers elevated serum calcium. It also increases the
excretion of filtered phosphate, calcium, and sodium by the kidney.
Indications:
Teaching point: