10 Things Urologists Think Hospitalists Should Know
10 Things Urologists Think Hospitalists Should Know
Hospitalists should tread carefully with medications that might be difficult to handle for patients with kidney issues, like stones or obstructive disease, Dr. Bulger says.
"If they only have one kidney that works well, you have to pay particular attention to drugs that are toxic to the kidneys," he says. He notes that the nature of the patient's health "will change the doses of some drugs, as well, depending on what the function of their kidney is."
Dr. Austenfeld says that drugs with anticholinergic side effects, including some cold remedies such as Benadryl, should possibly be avoided in patients who are having trouble emptying their bladders, because they might make it more difficult for a patient to urinate. Some sedatives, such as amitriptyline, have similar effects and should be used cautiously in these patients, Dr. Austenfeld points out.
"That class of drugs—sometimes I see patients on them for a long time, or placed on them, and they do have a little trouble emptying their bladders," he says.
3 Beware Certain Types of Medications in Vulnerable Patients
Hospitalists should tread carefully with medications that might be difficult to handle for patients with kidney issues, like stones or obstructive disease, Dr. Bulger says.
"If they only have one kidney that works well, you have to pay particular attention to drugs that are toxic to the kidneys," he says. He notes that the nature of the patient's health "will change the doses of some drugs, as well, depending on what the function of their kidney is."
Dr. Austenfeld says that drugs with anticholinergic side effects, including some cold remedies such as Benadryl, should possibly be avoided in patients who are having trouble emptying their bladders, because they might make it more difficult for a patient to urinate. Some sedatives, such as amitriptyline, have similar effects and should be used cautiously in these patients, Dr. Austenfeld points out.
"That class of drugs—sometimes I see patients on them for a long time, or placed on them, and they do have a little trouble emptying their bladders," he says.
