Included In This Lesson
Study Tools
Outline
Generic Name
lorazepam
Trade Name
Ativan
Indication
anxiety, sedation, seizures
Action
general CNS depression by potentiating inhibitory neurotransmitters
Therapeutic Class
anesthetic adjuncts, antianxiety agents, sedative hypnotics
Pharmacologic Class
Benzodiazepine
Nursing Considerations
• use caution with COPD and sleep apnea
• avoid alcohol use
• antidote is Flumazenil (Romazicon)
• may cause apnea, cardiac arrest, bradycardia, hypotension
• use caution with other CNS depressants
• administer slowly and dilute to decrease complications
Transcript
Okay, let’s take a look at lorazepam. Also known as Avan. This is an oral medication, as you can see here, and it also comes in other forms like IV and IM injections. So remember when we talk about the therapy class of a drug, we are talking about how the drug works in the body and the pharmacologic class is the chemical effect of the drug. So for lore, the therapeutic class, it’s an anesthetic agent, an anti-anxiety agent, and also a sedative or hypnotic. The pharmacologic class is a benzo a so LOPA works by general CNS depression by potentiating, inhibitory, neurotransmitters, which is why we use it for the treatment of anxiety also for sedation and for seizures.
So remember, LoRa am causes CNS depression. So because of this, we can see some side effects like apnea, hypertension, and bradycardia. Let’s take a look at a few nursing considerations for lorazepam use caution. If the patient is also on other CNS suppressants, if they have C U P D or if they have sleep apnea, if administering lorazepam in the IV form, make sure you are administering it slowly and also dilute the medication to decrease complications. And guys lorazepam may cause cardiac arrest. The antidote for lorazepam is flu or Ramon, but guys, this should be given slowly because rapid reversal can actually lead to seizures.
Be sure to teach the patient, to use lorazepam exactly as directed and to avoid alcohol use because it can cause excessive sedation. Guys. It’s important to know that lorazepam is addictive. So it’s critical that your patient understands this and only takes it as prescribed. Also the IV form of lorazepam contains something called propylene glyco at small doses. This really isn’t an issue, but at large doses, if the patient can’t excrete this properly, if they have maybe renal and sufficiency, it can lead to things like seizures, lactic, acidosis, and respiratory depression. And in rare cases, it can actually cause death. That’s it for lorazepam or Ativan now go out and be best self today. And as always happy nursing.
Tarang Patel, DNP-NA, RN, CCRN, RPh 
Nichole Weaver, MSN/Ed, RN, CCRN 
Miriam Wahrman, MSN/Ed, RNC-MNN 
Kara Tarr, BSN, RN 
Nacole Riccaboni, MSN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CMC 