Put your learning into practice 2
Put your learning into practice
Scenario 2
A woman comes to the counter and asks for a cough mixture for her son. You go through the WWHAM questions and find that he had a cold a week ago, which has left him with a dry, irritating cough that is keeping him awake at night. You check his age and find he is 15 years old and otherwise in good health.
WHAT TYPE OF COUGH MEDICINE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? (Select all that apply)
Suppressant
/antitussive
Expectorant
Decongestant
Antihistamine
Almost there! Try selecting an additional answer
Incorrect! Try again.
Incorrect! Try again.
Almost there! Try selecting an additional answer
Correct! Well done.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A SEDATING ANTIHISTAMINE FOUND IN COUGH MIXTURES?
Phenylephrine
Levomenthol
Diphenhydramine
Pseudoephedrine
Incorrect! Try again.
Incorrect! Try again.
Correct! Well done.
Incorrect! Try again.
WHAT IS DEXTROMETHORPHAN? (Select all that apply)
A cough suppressant
A decongestant
A demulcent
An antitussive
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Incorrect! Try again.
Incorrect! Try again.
Almost there! Try selecting an additional answer
Correct! Well done.
Having discussed the options with your customer you recommend Benylin Dry Coughs Night Syrup. It contains the cough suppressant dextromethorphan to relieve the symptoms of dry cough, and diphenhydramine, which causes drowsiness and should aid sleep. It also contains levomenthol, which will help ease any congestion in the nasal passages. This medicine cannot be given to children under 12 years of age, but since the boy is 15 years old this is not a problem.
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Available at: https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/aromatic-inhalations-cough-preparations-and-systemic-nasal-decongestants/
9. Drug safety Update: Codeine Linctus
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/codeine-linctus-codeine-oral-solutions-reclassification-to-prescription-only-medicine.
10. Scholor E. Dextromethorphan. Neuropathology of drug addictions and substance misuse. 2007.
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/dextromethorphan
11. Pavesi L, Subburaj S, Porter-Shaw K. Application and validation of a computerized cough acquisition system for objective monitoring of acute cough: a meta-analysis. Chest. 2001 Oct;120(4):1121-8. doi: 10.1378/chest.120.4.1121.
12. NHS. Diphenhydramine. 2021. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/diphenhydramine/
13. Singh.S. What is a paroxysmal cough? Top doctors. 2022.
Available at: https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-articles/what-is-a-paroxysmal-cough#
14. Plevkova J et al. The role of nasal trigeminal nerves expressing TRP channels in modulation of cough threshold and urge to cough – possible clinical application. Clin Transl Allergy 3 (Suppl 2), O17 (2013). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-7022-3-S2-O17
15. Willcox, M et al. Pelargonium sidoides root extract for the treatment of acute cough due to lower respiratory tract infection in adults: a feasibility double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial. BMC Complement Med Ther 21, 48 (2021).
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03206-4
16. NHS. Pseudoephedrine. 2022. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pseudoephedrine/about-pseudoephedrine/
17. NHS. Colds, coughs and ear infections in children. 2021.
Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/colds-coughs-and-ear-infections-in-children/
Online references last accessed May 2024.
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