Let's talk about nystatin. There are two forms of nystatin, topical and oral. The topical form has the trade name nystop, which is very similar to nystatin. Oral administration can be given as a pill or liquid suspension.
Let's look at the difference between statins and nystatins. Don't get confused with these medications because they also have statins in the name. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors or statins are anti-hyperlipidemic medications.
These all end in the suffix statin. Nystatin commonly gets mistaken for this. But remember, nystatin is an antifungal medication. Just think of the memory trick, nystatin is not a statin.
Nystatin is an antifungal drug. Anti means against and fungal is relating to a fungal infection. So these medications work against fungal infections. Let's look at how they do this.
Nystatin attaches to the fungus and creates holes in the cells causing the infectious contents to leak out. This results in death of the fungus. Let's look at some uses.
Nystatin eliminates candida or thrush in the mouth, intestines, vagina, and skin. These types of fungal infections can all be treated with this medication. Let's talk about some side effects of nystatin.
Patients taking nystatin or Lee may have GI upset like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Patients taking the liquid suspension may have irritation to the inside of the mouth. As a nurse, you should inspect the inside of the mouth for any irritation and effectiveness of the therapy. Now for some patient education. You want to educate your patient to take the medication every day and to avoid missing doses, even if symptoms subside.
For those wearing dentures, they should remove them and soak them in liquid suspension. Remember, dentures harbor bacteria. When the patient takes liquid suspension, they should shake the bottle well before taking it, rinse in their mouth for several minutes, and swish the medication around and swallow the medication.
This helps treat any esophageal candida if it's present. Thrush is common in patients using inhalers. To prevent thrush related to inhaler use, the nurse should treat the patient to rinse the mouth with water after administration and to use a spacer when using their inhaler. Let's review some of the most commonly tested on related to nystatin. Nystatin is available in oral and topical forms.
You as the nurse should inspect the inside of the mouth for any irritation while using nystatin. You want to educate your patient to complete the entire course of therapy even if symptoms subside. And when using an inhaler, you want to rinse the mouth with water and use a spacer. If you want more information like this, you can find it in the Complete Pharmacology flashcards. It covers everything you need to know in your pharmacology class, but it's presented in a fun and condensed way.
No more textbook fluff. That's all for nystatin. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Happy studying, future nurses!