Acyclovir is an antiviral drug that is used to treat herpes simplex and varicella zoster viruses. In this mnemonic video, I'll teach you an easy way to remember everything you need to know about acyclovir for test day. Here we go. For this mnemonic, we are in the high school library, where a band of students is trying to use the printer.
In the library, we often see these large recycling bins right next to the printers, right? I bet you've noticed them with all the NCLEX studying you're doing in the library. Anyway, this recycling bin is our symbol for the drug acyclovir.
Get it? Recycling for acyclovir? When you see acyclovir on your exam, think back to our anchoring symbol for this scene, this recycling bin. Next, let's talk about what acyclovir does. The printer obviously isn't functioning properly.
All the paper is shooting out of the printer right into the recycling bin. Take a look at the screen and you'll see a symbol indicating that the printer has a virus. That must be what's causing the printer to malfunction like this.
The virus here should help you remember that acyclovir is an antiviral drug, meaning that it is used to kill viruses and not bacteria or fungi. Another easy way to remember that acyclovir is an antiviral is right in its name. A-cyc-lo-vir. That vir at the end can help you remember we're talking about viruses here.
So, exactly what viruses does acyclovir treat? Let's keep watching to find out. Now the boy is going to be late to band practice. He was supposed to bring his sheet music, but with the printer virus, I don't think that's going to happen.
Maybe he can share music with another person who plays the harp. That's right, see that simple harp in his hand? This guy is just a beginner, so he is learning the harp on a small, simple harp. This simple harp is our symbol for herpes simplex virus. Harp for herpes and simple for simplex.
Get it? There are actually two types of herpes simplex virus. Herpes simplex 1, which is oral herpes, also known as cold sores. and herpes simplex 2, which describes genital herpes. But not to worry, acyclovir treats both types of herpes.
So, now when you see herpes simplex on test day, just know that acyclovir is the drug you should be looking to give. Aw, man. The printer virus is really making this printer act up, and it just squirted red ink all over the boy's brand new varsity jacket. This varsity jacket is our symbol for varicella zoster. Varsity for Varicella, get it?
You're probably more familiar with Varicella zoster by its other name, chickenpox. You know, those red ink spots on the Varsity jacket also remind me of the visual appearance of chickenpox, since chickenpox causes small red lesions all over the body. Just use this red-spotted Varsity jacket to help you remember Varicella zoster, also known as the chickenpox virus. This is to help you remember that another use for acyclovir is for treating chickenpox or varicella.
Next, let's talk about a potential adverse effect of acyclovir. While trying to protect his new varsity jacket, the boy dropped his bag of jelly beans. Jelly beans makes for a great snack at school, but not after they've been dropped on the floor.
By the way, doesn't the shape of these jelly beans kind of remind you of kidneys? In the Pixarized universe, we use jelly beans to represent the kidney. So, these falling jelly beans can help you remember that acyclovir can cause kidney injury or nephrotoxicity.
Acyclovir can actually crystallize in the tubules of the kidney to cause damage to the kidneys, which manifests as elevations in BUN and creatinine, or a decrease in urine output levels. In order to prevent this side effect, acyclovir should be infused at a slow rate. and the patient should be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids.
There's the bell. We better wrap up before the next class starts. Acyclovir is an antiviral medication that is used to treat herpes simplex virus as well as the varicella zoster virus.
A major adverse effect of acyclovir is nephrotoxicity, so questions containing patients with abnormal BUN, creatinine, and urine output should cause concern for the patient's safety. To prevent kidney injury, make sure the infusion rate is set within the appropriate limits and make sure the patient is drinking plenty of fluids. Alright, time for band practice. I'll leave you here in the library so you can keep studying. You're doing great!
I'll see you in the next one. click the image next to the More Here arrow. I'll see you next time.