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Walk the Even Hospital Database by book and chapter — the raw source passages that ground Ask, DDx, and the rest.
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Aging patients experience a decline in both liver and kidney function. The Beers Criteria have been developed to allow for risk stratification in the older population and are useful when dosing medications in individuals over 65 years of age. Similarly, the administration of drugs to patients affected by liver or kidney disease or exhibiting pathologies that may impact those organs must take dose adjustments into account. All drug package inserts from the manufacturer discuss specific concerns regarding renal and hepatic dosing, which the healthcare team needs to be aware of for their patients.[11]
When taking care of patients with hepatic or renal disease or conditions affecting those organs, nurses must consider the fact that drug elimination may be affected. Drug doses may require reduction (and/or dosing frequency), and some drugs may require discontinuation. If the administration of a particular drug is absolutely necessary, careful monitoring for adverse effects is of the essence. In patients unaffected by liver or kidney pathology, the plasma concentration of drugs such as vancomycin or phenytoin still needs monitoring to ensure they remain in the therapeutic window.[12]