Course Summary
Prazosin (Minipress®) is an a1 adrenoceptor antagonist that blocks excessive responsiveness to norepinephrine stimulation at postsynaptic a1 adrenergic receptor. The maximum dose recommended in the prazosin is 40 mg daily. High-dose prazosin is believed to help alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with comorbid depression and anxiety. Often, clinicians are unsure of how to dose or divide the dose of prazosin to effectively manage symptoms. The titration and proper treatment of prazosin should be based on individual response to the drug and observed side effects. Prazosin should be gradually titrated to avoid the unpleasant side effect of dizziness, and patients need to be educated about the possible risks as well as the benefits or primary symptoms being treated.
Course Format
Homestudy
Course Syllabus
- Introduction
- Pharmacology Profile
- Category
- Mechanism of Action
- Unlabeled Use
- Disease States (common)
- Available Forms
- Dosing (Adult)
- Pediatric Dosing
- Dosing Adjustment
- Geriatric Patients
- Hepatic Impairments
- Renal Impairment
- Overdose
- Contradictions
- Warnings
- Precautions
- Adverse Effects
- Drug-Drug Interactions
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Overdose
- Clinical Pearls: Prazosin
- Case Studies: Prazosin
- Case Studies: Bipolar 2 Disorder and PTSD
- Discussion: Bipolar 2 Disorder and PTSD
- Case Study: PTSD in Adolescents
- Discussion: PTSD in Adolescents
- Case Study: Randomized Trial: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in US Veterans
- Discussion: Randomized Trial: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in US Veterans
- Summary
Author
Dana Bartlett, RN, BSN, MSN, MA, CSPI
Dana Bartlett is a professional nurse and author. His clinical experience includes 16 years of ICU and ER experience and over 27 years as a poison control center information specialist. Dana has published numerous CE and journal articles, written NCLEX material, textbook chapters, and more than 100 online CE articles, and done editing and reviewing for publishers such as Elsevier, Lippincott, and Thieme. He has written widely on the subject of toxicology and was a contributing editor, toxicology section, for Critical Care Nurse journal. He is currently employed at the Connecticut Poison Control Center. He lives in Wappingers Falls, NY.