Physiological Adaptation Q 110
The client with varicella will most likely have an order for which category of medication?
A. Antibiotics
B. Antipyretics
C. Antivirals
D. Anticoagulants
Correct Answer: C. Antivirals
Varicella is chickenpox. This herpes virus is treated with antiviral medications. In adults, infection tends to be more severe, and treatment with antiviral drugs (acyclovir or valacyclovir) is advised if they can be started within 24 to 48 hours of rash onset. In children, acyclovir decreases symptoms by one day if taken within 24 hours of the start of the rash, but it has no effect on complication rates, and it is not recommended for individuals with normal immune function.
Option A: The pharmacology behind antibiotics includes destroying the bacterial cell by either preventing cell reproduction or changing a necessary cellular function or process within the cell. Antimicrobial agents are classically grouped into 2 main categories based on their in vitro effect on bacteria: bactericidal and bacteriostatic.
Option B: The client might have a fever before the rash appears, but when the rash appears, the temperature is usually gone, so answer B is incorrect. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a drug class FDA-approved for use as antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic agents. These effects make NSAIDs useful for the treatment of muscle pain, dysmenorrhea, arthritic conditions, pyrexia, gout, migraines, and used as opioid-sparing agents in certain acute trauma cases.
Option D: The client is not treated with anticoagulants as stated in answer D. Anticoagulants derive their effect by acting at different sites of the coagulation cascade. Some act directly by enzyme inhibition, while others indirectly, by binding to antithrombin or by preventing their synthesis from the liver (vitamin K dependent factors).