SURG 127 - Surgical Pharmacology

3 Total Credits
This course offers learners the opportunity to analyze the principles underlying anesthesia administration. Students will critically compare various methods, agents, and techniques used in anesthesia administration and preparation. Additionally, they will develop proficiency in calculating medication dosages, conversions, and administration protocols to effectively manage medications in the care of surgical patients. PREREQUISITE(S): SURG 116, 119, 120 & 125

Prerequisite(s): SURG 116, 119, 120 & 125

Course Outcomes

Identify general drug information, scope of practice, orders, routes of administration, pharmacokinetics, side effects and patient considerations for prescribing drugs from your textbook.

Identify government agencies associated with drug regulation, scope of practice and roles in the operating room, development and testing of drugs, reference sources for drugs, and abbreviations used.

Identify the role of the circulator and surgical technologist in drug administration and handling, six rights and procedure of drug administration and labeling.

Demonstrate knowledge of the risks and physiology associated with anesthesia and the gastric drugs used to decrease those risks. Identify terms related to atypical cells and Cancer and have a general understanding of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Demonstrate knowledge of the physiology of the kidney, use of diuretics generally and in the operating room, and the risks of ongoing diuretic therapy.

Identify hormones, medical and surgical uses, and steroid use, action and side effects on the surgical and other patients

Distinguish between contrast media, dyes and staining agents; identify drugs and their uses on the surgical field.

Describe the clotting process and drugs that affect coagulation, tests used to measure the patient’s clotting ability, actions of drugs that affect coagulation, administration routes and use on the sterile field as well as reversing agents.

Demonstrate knowledge of the physiology of clotting, the use of hemostatic agents and other drugs used to enhance clotting; identify various types of hemostatic agents.

Identify the action of antimicrobials, infection risks, guidelines for therapeutic and prophylactic uses in the OR setting, specific groups, adverse effects, including microbial resistance

Identify purpose and types of volume expanders and other IV fluids and electrolytes used in the operating room; describe the equipment and procedure to spike and hang an IV fluid.

Identify blood function and types, components, replacement, ordering procedures, various procurement methods including auto transfusion, procedure for administration and blood substitutes.

Identify terms and demonstrate knowledge of the physiology of general anesthesia, selection criteria, monitoring, phases/stages, components, methods of delivery, and categories of drugs used; include muscle physiology and use of muscle relaxers with reversal agents.

Demonstrate knowledge of the pain pathway, various methods and drugs for local and regional anesthesia, and the risks and procedure for the use of local anesthesia on the field.

Demonstrate knowledge of allergic and transfusion reactions, respiratory obstructions and aspiration, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, cardiac arrest procedure and drugs; describe the malignant hyperthermia physiologic response, drugs and procedural response. Identify basic EKG arrhythmias.
Describe PACU, types of postoperative complications, unanticipated PACU outcomes, and the purpose of discharge planning.