Diabetes Treatment: Nursing Management with Dapagliflozin

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Dapagliflozin, a medication used in the management of type 2 diabetes. It details the drug's mechanism of action, focusing on its role as an SGLT2 inhibitor, and its impact on renal glucose uptake. The report explores the nursing management aspects, including patient education regarding drug interactions with medications like Synthroid, insulin, and furosemide, as well as food interactions such as alcohol and high cholesterol diets. It also covers patient assessment through blood sugar and urine sugar monitoring, potential side effects like urinary tract infections and candidiasis, and contraindications such as renal impairment and end-stage renal disease. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding the drug's administration, dosage, and the need for careful monitoring of patients, especially those with pre-existing renal conditions. This report serves as a valuable resource for nurses and healthcare professionals involved in diabetes care, providing insights into the effective and safe use of Dapagliflozin.

Nursing management
Management of diabetes type 2
using Dapaglifozin requires the
nurse to conduct proper education
on the specialties of the drug and
conduct regular assessments.
Nursing Management
Nurses are to be very keen on
patients who have renal impairment
and systemic exposure. This is
because the primary mode of
action is on the renal system and
hence the patients need to be
having a functioning renal system
which if not present the drug can
be customized to be more
compatible with the system
(Roman, 2016).
Patient Education
Considerations
The main consideration on patient
education is on the drug and food
interactions; alcohol and high
cholesterol foods are to be
avoided; nurse to tell patient on
specific foods they should avoid.
Patient Assessment
Assessing the blood sugar levels of the patient to check for
progress by taking blood samples.
Also, assessing the urine sugar which may be indicative of
the amount of glucose being diverted from the blood to the
urinary system through the kidney (Zinman, 2015).
Potential Side Effects
Urinary tract infections- due to exposure of urinary system
to pathogens
Candidiasis, Bacterial vaginosis, Cystitis
Other adverse effects: Bladder pain, Anxiety,
Dizziness, Back-pains, Seizures, Weight gain
Special consideration; Indications and contraindications
Indications; serves as adjunct to diet and exercise in
improving the glycemic control in diabetes patients.
Contraindications: patients with renal impairment, pt
undergoing renal dialysis and those with end stage renal
disease (ESRD) (Ptoth, 2018).
Dapaglifozin
(Farxigac)
This is a drug used by diabetes patients to
lower the levels of blood sugar

Class of dapaglifozin
Gliflozin class- these are drugs that hinder
the glucose uptake in the kidneys and hence
lead to reduced amount of glucose in blood
Drug Administration and Dosage
The administration of Dapagliflozin happens
at an increasing pace. Initial dose for adults
should be 5mg/day.
Patients with tolerating therapy may increase
to a maximum of 10mg/day(Idris, 2014)
The acceptance of Dapaglifozin in
2014 was a major step in the
attainment of the diabetes treatment
goals. Later on, several synergistic
medications to improve it came up,
such as Qtern (dapaglifozin and
saxagliptin)
Mechanism of Action
The Gliflozins act by creating an inhibition to
the Sodium-glucose transport protein 2
(commonly known as SGLT2), hence called
SGLT2 inhibitors.
The SGLT2 is a member of the sodium glucose
cotransporter family, which is comprised of
sodium ion dependent GT-proteins. These are
used in the renal uptake of glucose and hence
inhibition of the SGLT2 causes an inhibition in
the renal uptake of glucose, hence restoring the
system to normal (Pereyra, 2017)
Lab effects/Interference
The drug takes 2hrs to peak, and its excipients
include farxiga which make it compatible with
the oral system. Usually metabolized to an
inactive metabolite which is finally exhumed in
urine (75% with less than 2% original drug) and
feaces (21%, with 15% as mother drug)
Drug/food Interactions
Synthroid, insulin and furosemide are three of
the medications that are among those
that can be commonly checked with
Dapagliflozin.
The two food interactions that may affect
Dapagliflozin greatly are alcohol and high
cholesterol diets there is need to check
on the levels of cholesterol before and
after treatment. Alcohol also affects the
blood sugar levels, and there is need to
avoid alcohol if the diabetes is not well
controlled (Roca-Rodriguez, 2015).