Perfusion and Renal Elimination
6.1 Perfusion and Renal Elimination Introduction
Learning Objectives
- Cite the classifications and actions of cardiovascular drugs
- Cite the classifications and actions of renal system drugs
- Give examples of when, how, and to whom cardiovascular system drugs may be administered
- Identify the side effects and special considerations associated with cardiovascular drug therapy
- Identify considerations and implications of using cardiovascular system medications across the life span
- Identify considerations and implications of using renal system medications across the life span
- Apply evidence-based concepts when using the nursing process
Key Terms
- afterload
- anticoagulant
- arrhythmia
- arteriosclerosis
- artery
- atherosclerosis
- blood pressure
- capillaries
- cardiac output (CO)
- cerebrovascular accident
- coagulation
- compliance
- contractility
- diastole
- edema
- embolus
- fibrillation
- fibrinolysis
- hemostasis
- hyperlipidemia
- hypertension
- hypervolemia
- hypovolemia
- international normalized ratio
- ischemia
- loop of henle
- myocardial infarction
- negative inotropic factors
- partial thromboplastin time
- perfusion
- positive inotropic factors
- preload
- prothrombin time
- renin-angiot.-aldost. system
- sinoatrial (SA) node
- sinus rhythm
- stroke volume (SV)
- systole
- thrombus
- transient ischemic attack
- veins
- venous reserve
Perfusion
Perfusion is the ability of the heart to move oxygen and nutrients throughout the body to ensure cellular processes are able to function appropriately. Perfusion is cyclical, meaning that to provide oxygen and nutrients to the cell, the body must also be able to remove cellular wastes and by-products. This chapter will review the body systems that work to maintain adequate perfusion to the body to maintain the body’s survival, including the cardiovascular and renal system. In the Medications to Treat section of this chapter, you will notice that multiple medication classifications are discussed but only one medication card is to be completed per chapter. These medication cards were developed as a guide for you to use in your own practice to build you own medication cards. There is a section that provides these tools in Word format for you to download and edit as needed.
The Heart
Did you know that the average adult human heart contracts approximately 108,000 times in one day, more than 39 million times in one year, and nearly 3 billion times during a 75-year lifespan? Each heartbeat ejects approximately 70 mL of blood, resulting in 5.25 liters of fluid per minute and approximately 14,000 liters per day. Over one year, that means over 2.6 million gallons of blood are sent through roughly 60,000 miles of vessels in the adult body.[1] It is no wonder that the heart is the most important muscle of the body! This chapter will review important concepts and disorders related to the heart and cardiovascular system before discussing common medication classes. I