Epoweten Alpha is a medication used to increase hemoglobin levels to treat people with anemia. In this visual mnemonic video, I will teach you an easy way to remember everything a nurse needs to know about Epoweten Alpha, so you'll be ready for the NCLEX. Let's get started.
In today's scene, we find ourselves at the local bar in the morning. The owner just finished polishing his bar's countertop with this epoxy finish. See how shiny and glossy it is? The epoxy here is our symbol for the drug epoetin alpha.
Get it? Epoxy for epoetin? Epoetin is basically a synthetic version of the hormone erythropoietin that is naturally produced by your kidneys.
Erythropoietin plays an important role in stimulating our bodies to make more red blood cells. So the drug epoetin does the same thing. And why might that be useful? Well, let's find out. It was smart of the bar owner to put the epoxy on before the bar opened.
Now that we're getting closer to opening time, the owner is prepping some Bloody Marys for the morning crowd. When you think of the owner making a Bloody Mary, remember that Epoetan helps make red blood cells. See what I did there? Since making these blood-red Bloody Mary drinks reminds me of making red blood, right? Epoetan is given to patients to treat anemia, or patients with low hemoglobin levels.
The goal of Epoetan treatment is to increase the patient's hemoglobin levels by increasing the production of red blood. Now, this is good and all, but there is one important side effect of taking this drug to know. So, let's get to that next.
To make the Bloody Marys, the bar owner needs to dump in the red tomato sauce out of this bottle. Unfortunately, he has run into a bit of trouble because the tomato sauce has clumped up near the opening to clog the bottle. Coincidentally, this reminds me of how Epoedin can cause blood to form clots in our vessels.
A clotted bottle of red liquid for blood clots. Get it? The formation of blood clots induced by epoetin can be dangerous because blood clots can block blood supply to organs downstream, causing ischemia and tissue death. Clinically, this manifests as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolisms in the lung, heart attacks, and strokes in the brain.
It's important to report to the provider any signs or symptoms of these conditions, like shortness of breath, chest pain, or altered mental status. Based on this side effect, it should also make sense why epoetin is contraindicated in patients who are already at high risk for developing blood clots. For example, in patients with a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as people with severe hypertension.
So, how do we prevent this side effect from happening? Well, notice how the bar owner is attempting to unclog the bottle with a pair of chopsticks. The way he is holding the chopsticks in two lines reminds me of the number 11. Do you see it? Since the pair of chopsticks kind of looks like the two 1s in 11, right?
Notice that the Bloody Mary is below the chopsticks, and remember that the Bloody Mary was our symbol for the hemoglobin found in red blood. The Bloody Mary below the chopsticks can remind you that the hemoglobin levels should stay below 11. Above this level of hemoglobin, The blood gets too thick and greatly increases the risk for blood clots that we just mentioned. Make sure to keep a close eye on the patient's hemoglobin levels and you should be set for test day. It looks like the bar is opening here soon, so let's quickly summarize and get on our way. Epoetin Alpha, or just Epoetin for short, is a drug that is basically a synthetic form of the naturally occurring hormone erythropoietin.
Epoetin is given to patients with anemia to stimulate the production of red blood cells and to increase hemoglobin levels. By increasing the number of red blood cells, epoetin increases the thickness or viscosity of blood, which explains its main side effect, an increased chance of developing blood clots. As such, the drug is contraindicated in patients with a high risk or history of blood clots. To prevent blood clots from occurring, The hemoglobin should be closely monitored and should not rise above 11 grams per deciliter.
And that's everything! Now you're a master of all things epoetin. If you're feeling really confident about the NCLEX after watching Pixerize videos, tell your friends about us over your morning cocktails. See you in the next one!
For more resources on this topic, including fact lists and interactive review images, click the image next to the More Here arrow. I'll see you next time.