May have had an effect on the absorption and

may have had an effect on the absorption and distribution of the administered
medication. Older adults undergo physiological changes that affect the absorption,
distribution, and elimination of many agents (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Due to the patient
being a poor historian and no supporting documentation or family members being
presented, an appropriate medical history was not obtained prior to treatment. The
administration of intravenous medications also created a greater risk of overdose for
this patient since the route provided rapid access to the patient’s circulatory system.
Based on the presenting factors, along with missing health history, it is my opinion that
the patient should have been treated initially with a lower dosing of the opioid pain
medication or a different class of pain medication in general. In order to appropriately
care for an older adult individual, the healthcare professional must take into
consideration the impact that specific drug classes have on the aging body.
References
Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017).
Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). Ambler,
PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Introduction to advanced
pharmacology . Baltimore, MD: Author.
Prostran, M., Vujović, K. S., Vučković, S., Medić, B., Srebro, D., Divac, N., Stojanović,
R., Vujović, A., Jovanović, L., Jotić, A., … Cerovac, N. (2016). Pharmacotherapy of Pain
in the Older Population: The Place of Opioids. Frontiers in aging neuroscience , 8 , 144.
doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00144
Response #1
Deborah,
I enjoyed reading your post. As a nurse working in the ED, we see this a lot. When