What are nursing considerations for Lexapro?

Nursing Considerations for Lexapro (Escitalopram)
Lexapro, known generically as escitalopram, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly prescribed for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. As with any medication, nursing considerations are crucial to ensure patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. Here’s a detailed look at the key nursing considerations when administering Lexapro.
Patient Assessment and Monitoring
Before initiating treatment with Lexapro, a comprehensive assessment is essential. Nurses should evaluate the patient’s mental health history, including any previous episodes of depression or anxiety, and assess for any history of suicidal ideation or attempts. Regular monitoring for changes in mood, behavior, and suicidal thoughts is critical, especially during the initial treatment phase or when adjusting dosages.
Patients should also be monitored for side effects, which can include gastrointestinal disturbances, insomnia, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. Notably, SSRIs like Lexapro can lead to sexual side effects, such as decreased libido and delayed ejaculation in males, which may affect adherence to the medication.
Dosage and Administration
Lexapro is typically administered once daily, with or without food. Nurses should ensure that patients understand the importance of adhering to the prescribed dosage and not discontinuing the medication abruptly, as this can lead to withdrawal symptoms. If a dose is missed, patients should be advised to take it as soon as they remember unless it is close to the time for the next dose.
Patient Education
Education plays a vital role in the management of patients on Lexapro. Nurses should inform patients about the expected therapeutic effects, which may take several weeks to manifest. It’s also important to discuss potential side effects and the importance of reporting any severe or persistent symptoms.
Patients should be made aware of the potential for drug interactions, particularly with other medications that affect serotonin levels, such as other antidepressants, certain pain medications, and herbal supplements like St. John’s Wort.
Special Populations
For pregnant or breastfeeding patients, careful consideration is necessary. Limited data suggest that maternal doses of escitalopram up to 20 mg daily produce low levels in breast milk and are unlikely to cause adverse effects in breastfed infants, particularly if the infant is older. However, the risks and benefits must be weighed carefully, and ongoing monitoring of both mother and child is recommended.
Cautions and Contraindications
Nurses should be vigilant about potential contraindications. Lexapro is not recommended for patients with a known hypersensitivity to escitalopram or citalopram. Additionally, caution is advised in patients with a history of bipolar disorder, as SSRIs can potentially trigger manic episodes.
Conclusion
In summary, nursing considerations for Lexapro encompass thorough patient assessment, vigilant monitoring for side effects, patient education on medication adherence and potential interactions, and special considerations for vulnerable populations. By adhering to these guidelines, nurses can help ensure that patients receive the maximum benefit from their treatment while minimizing risks.

What precautions should be taken when taking Lexapro?

This medicine may cause some people to become drowsy, have trouble with thinking or controlling body movements. Make sure you know how you react to escitalopram before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert or well-coordinated.

What are the nursing implications for Lexapro?

Escitalopram can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.

What are the nursing considerations?

Answer and Explanation: Nursing considerations are things a nurse should keep in mind before administering certain medications or therapies to a patient.

What are the nursing considerations for antidepressants?

Assessment and monitoring: SSRIs and SNRIs

• Baseline assessment of depressive symptoms; continue during antidepressant therapy.
• Monitor for suicidal thoughts, especially during the first few weeks.
• Baseline mental status, vital signs, weight, serum electrolytes, kidney and liver function.
• Pregnancy status.

What should I monitor when taking Lexapro?

Clinical Worsening/Suicide Risk: Monitor for clinical worsening, suicidality and unusual change in behavior, especially, during the initial few months of therapy or at times of dose changes (5.1).

When should I consider taking Lexapro?

You can take escitalopram at any time of day, as long as you stick to the same time every day. If you have trouble sleeping, it’s best to take it in the morning.

What are the rules for taking Lexapro?

Take Lexapro as a single dose either in the morning or in the evening. Take Lexapro with or without food. Continue to take Lexapro even if it takes some time before you feel any improvement in your condition.

What are some nursing implications?

Nursing implications are the consequences a nurse’s actions or decisions might have. Think of implications as the bigger picture — they’re what a nurse must consider when deciding what to do, like how a treatment might affect a patient’s overall health or safety.

What to assess when giving Lexapro?

Examination and Evaluation

• Be alert for increased depression and suicidal thoughts and ideology, especially when initiating drug treatment, or in children and teenagers.
• Assess dizziness and drowsiness that might affect gait, balance, and other functional activities (See Appendix C).

What should be monitored when taking SSRI?

At baseline and weekly for the first four weeks, biweekly thereafter monitor closely for suicidal thoughts and behavior, as well as behaviors possibly associated with suicidality (e.g., akathisia, irritability, increased agitation).