Encyclopedia of Family Medicine

Chapter 25: Essentials in the Family Medicine Cabinet (2)
(3) Carefully read the performance description, dosage, ex-factory date and expiration date of the drug before taking the medicine.Resolutely throw away expired medicines and never take them, especially liquid medicines.

(4) The home medicine cabinet should choose a place protected from light and low temperature, but to prevent freezing.

(5) The family medicine box should not be locked, but should be kept out of the reach of children.

How to detect drug deterioration
(1) Tablets: Discoloration, mildew, odor, loose or deformed tablets, spots or crystals on the surface, sticking of sugar-coated tablets or many spots should not be used again.

(2) Pills: moldy, deformed, discolored, and smelly have deteriorated.

(3) Injections: When there is a change in color or abnormal chromaticity, turbidity, precipitation, or cracks in the medicine bottle, flocculent appearance or crystal precipitation, it has deteriorated.

(4) Capsules: Those that are moldy, softened or broken are not available.

(5) Oral medicine: if mildew, discoloration, flocculent or precipitation appears, it indicates that it has deteriorated.

(6) Eye drops: Discoloration and abnormal chromaticity, muddy, sediment, etc., must not be used again.

(7) Eye ointment: When there are particles, the smell of rancid oil, or liquid, it has deteriorated and cannot be used.

Letting go of the old and bringing in the new in the family medicine box

A home medicine cabinet is a must, but be sure to regularly dispose of expired medicines and manage a variety of medications.No drug can be stored and used indefinitely, expired or lose its potency, or volatilize to harmful concentrations, or become harmful due to recombination of ingredients.Expired, discolored, viscous and cloudy medicines must be thrown away, especially stale iodine, eye drops, eye washes, nose drops, cough medicines, and ointments.The home medicine cabinet should always replace old medicines with new ones.It is also very important to keep all the medicines. When throwing away the waste medicines, you should also pay attention to dispose of them, so that they cannot be picked up and swallowed by children.

The ABCs of Home Medicine
(1) Don't use medication rashly.With the development of science, many medicines have become essential medicines and commonly used medicines for families.For example, antibiotics, anti-infective drugs, etc., especially some new drugs, although they have the same effect as the commonly used drugs in the past, the usage and dosage are often different.When some people take it, it is best to take it rashly based on past experience or hearsay, which is very harmful.Some people are eager to get better, hate the disease and take medicine hard, and do not follow the instructions and increase the dose, which is very dangerous.Drugs can cure diseases, but they can also cause diseases. For example, the anti-inflammatory drug co-trimoxazole has a half-life of 12 hours in the human body, so take it twice a day, 2 tablets each time.If the interval between taking the medicine is less than 12 hours, it will accumulate in the body, and in severe cases, it may damage the kidneys.

(2) Do not take medicine blindly.The nutrition required by children and pregnant women is relatively higher than that of the general population, but not all children and pregnant women need a large amount of supplementary nutrition. Those who lack nutrition must be supplemented. For those who are not lacking in nutrition, large supplements and special supplements will lead to malnutrition.Under normal circumstances, trace elements such as zinc and iron in the human body are in a state of dynamic balance. If supplemented in excess, the balance will be disrupted and side effects will occur.Especially vitamin drugs, the human body will get sick if they are deficient, and excessive intake in the body can also cause disease.Nutrition is best taken from food, try not to get satisfaction from drug supplements.

(3) Do not take supplements if you are not sick.First of all, it should be clear that tonic is also a medicine.Secondly, taking tonics should be taken according to the symptoms, the body is healthy, and there is no lack of nutrition. Taking tonics is harmful and not beneficial.If you want to live a long and healthy life, taking supplements is not a solution, nor can it achieve the goal. The secret to a long and healthy life is a good lifestyle and exercise.

Dosage Calculation Method for the Elderly and Children
（1）老人量：60~80岁，用4／5成人量，80岁以上用1／2成人量。

(2) Infant dose: Infant dose under 2 years old = age (months), 150 × adult dose (French method)

(3) Quick conversion method for dosage of medicines for old and young:

Age dosage

60岁以上3／4~4／5成人量

15~18 years old 3/4 adult amount

12~15 years old 3/5 adult amount

8~12 years old 1/2 adult amount

6~8 years old 1/3 adult amount

4~6 years old 1/4 adult amount

2~4 years old 1/6 adult amount

1~2 years old 1/8 adult amount

初生儿~1岁1／24~1／12成人量

The expiration date and lot number of the drug

After some scientific experiments, the validity period of certain drugs is determined by their potency and stability.If the package is printed with: "valid for May 1997," that is, it will expire after the working day in May 5; some packages are printed with: "valid for one year", you must find the production period on the seal.

药品的批号即一批药品生产出的时间，一般采用6位数字表示年月日，如“970405”，即1997年4月5日生产；如标明“970405-2”即表示同时生产的第二批。

Attention should be paid to the drugs with expiry dates. The commonly used ones are penicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, doxycycline, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, rifampicin, insulin and adenosine triphosphate.

How to use common topical medicines

Use a clean medicinal cotton ball to apply the topical lotion. Do not apply the bottle stopper directly on the wound to prevent cross-infection.After use, cover the cork and store in a cool place for later use.

Iodine: Iodine is an alcoholic solution of potassium iodide and iodine.It has anti-swelling, antipruritic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects.It is suitable for wounds with no broken skin, such as the beginning of sores, itchy skin, redness, etc. It is not easy to apply on the sores, the mucous membranes of the mouth and lips, and it is not suitable to be used together with red syrup.

Red Potion: Red Potion is an aqueous solution of red mercury, so it is also called red mercury water.It has the effect of disinfection and antiseptic, no stimulation to the body, and no pain when applied to the wound.It is suitable for smearing a small area of ​​epidermal wounds. It should not be used together with iodine to prevent mercury iodide poisoning.

Purple syrup: Purple syrup is an aqueous solution of gentian violet, so it is also called gentian violet.It has the functions of disinfection, antisepsis, scab formation, and shrinkage. It is suitable for sores in the mouth, sores on the face, wounds and inflammations of the skin and mucous membranes, etc. It is especially lethal to bacteria that cause purulence.Purple syrup is non-toxic and less irritating to the human body.

Hydrogen peroxide: an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, which has a strong bactericidal effect and is mainly used for cleaning wounds and ulcers.

Alcohol: It is a 75% ethanol solution, which has the effect of disinfecting the epidermis. It is often used to disinfect the skin and instruments. In addition, rubbing the skin of bedridden patients with alcohol can prevent bedsores from occurring.

The healing function of vitamins
(1) Vitamin A.Also known as anti eye disease vitamin.This vitamin helps cells grow and boosts metabolism.If there is a lack of vitamin A in the human body, it is very easy to cause diseases of the respiratory and digestive organs.Children lack vitamin A and their growth and development are slow.Vitamin A can also cure night blindness.

(2) Vitamin B1.It can treat beriberi, multiple neuritis, vomiting, anorexia and other diseases. In addition, vitamin B1 can also treat rosacea caused by long-term drinking and hardening of the nose.When the drinker feels that the nose is hard, take vitamin B1 in time, take 2-3 tablets each time, three times a day, and take it for a few days, and the nose will become soft.

(3) Vitamin B2.It can participate in various metabolisms in the body and maintain normal visual function of the eye; it can treat keratitis, conjunctivitis, angular cheilitis, glossitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and scrotum.

(4) Vitamin B6.Participate in amino acid and fat metabolism, and can prevent and treat gastrointestinal reactions caused by pregnancy vomiting, radiation sickness vomiting, isoniazid poisoning and anticancer drugs.Combined with niacinamide to treat pellagra.

(5) Vitamin C.It can soften blood vessels and is an auxiliary drug for treating patients with high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, and can increase the body's resistance to infection.Prevention and treatment of scurvy, various acute infectious diseases and purpura.

(6) Vitamin D.It has the function of resisting rickets and osteomalacia.It can promote the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body, adjust the pH of the intestinal tract, and is often used in combination with vitamin A.

(7) Vitamin E.Prevent aging and prevent cell degeneration.Prevents cancer and stabilizes epithelial cells.Promotes brain and nervous system development.Prevention of coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis, prevention of progressive muscular dystrophy and neonatal scleroderma.Treatment of gynecological irregular menstruation and infertility.Prevents threatened miscarriage and treats frostbite.

Lozenges should not be eaten as candy

Throat lozenges are a kind of family standing medicine. Commonly used throat lozenges can be divided into mint lozenges and dumofen lozenges.Because throat lozenges are very sweet, especially mint throat lozenges have a very good taste, so some people without throat problems also like to take some throat lozenges, and some parents give throat lozenges to their children as candy.Don't you know that throat lozenges are sweet, but they are medicine, not sugar.Peppermint lozenges have the effect of constricting blood vessels, reducing swelling and relieving pain.However, eating a large amount of throat lozenges without a disease in the throat will cause dryness and damage to the mucous membranes and cause oral ulcers.Dumofen Throat Tablets have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects. If there is no inflammation in the oral cavity and taken in large quantities, it will also damage the oral mucosa and even induce gastrointestinal diseases.

Painkillers should not be abused

Painkillers are a must-have item in the family medicine cabinet, but they need to be used properly. If they are misused, abused, or overdosed, they will not only fail to cure the disease, but will also cause serious consequences.Analgesic tablets can be divided into two categories, one is antipyretic and analgesic drugs, and the other is antispasmodic and analgesic drugs. Big difference.Antispasmodic analgesics are mainly used to treat spasmodic pain in the gastrointestinal tract and other smooth muscles, such as colic in the gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract, and urinary tract.Representative drugs in this area include atropine, propensine, and epilepsy tablets.Antipyretic and painkillers are mainly used to treat colds, colds, fever, fatigue headaches, muscle aches, neuralgia, menstrual pain, etc.Representative drugs in this area include aspirin, paracetamol, and indomethacin.These painkillers are irritating to the stomach and should be taken after meals to reduce irritation.Analgesic tablets can only cure the symptoms, not the root cause. To make the condition better, fundamental treatment must be done according to the etiology.

Do not abuse skin relaxant

Fuqingqing is a synthetic hormone, made into ointment mainly for the treatment of contact dermatitis, neurodermatitis, eczema, etc.But it has the side effect of reducing the body's resistance to mold, bacteria and viruses, such as tinea pedis, tinea pedis, tinea corporis, jock itch, folliculitis caused by purulent bacteria, furuncle, impetigo and virus caused by mold Chickenpox, not only can't be cured with skin light therapy, but also lesions will occur, which will make the condition worse.Therefore, Fuqingqing is not a panacea to heal the skin and should not be abused.

Can't take supplements

Some people think that tonics are for the nourishment of the body, and it is good for people who are sick or not.But everything has duality, there are advantages and disadvantages.For example, taking too much vitamin C for a long time can cause vomiting and diarrhea; another example is that ginseng is a tonic, but it is harmful and useless for people with yin deficiency and fire.

In fact, medicine supplements are often better than food supplements.The six major nutrients the human body needs - protein, fat, vitamins, sugars, inorganic salts and trace elements, can be taken from food. As long as it is not a serious disease that causes special needs, there is no need to spend a lot of money on supplements.

Proper use of antipyretics
When the patient himself or family members take fever-reducing medicines, they should pay attention to:

(1) If the cause is unknown, do not use it;
(2) Do not use short-term low-grade fever;
(3) Sudden high fever should be used with caution;
(4) supplemented by physical cooling if necessary;

(5) Drink plenty of water after taking the medicine.

Painkillers are not painkillers
Many people think that painkillers are painkillers, which is not true.They only paid attention to the commonality of the two drugs for antipyretic and analgesic, ignoring their subtle differences in composition, dosage, side effects and therapeutic functions.

Pain reliever, also known as analgesic tablets, Suomi pain.It is composed of four drugs: aminopyrine, phenacetin, caffeine, and phenobarbital.In addition to antipyretic and analgesic, it also has anti-rheumatic effects.

Painkillers are also known as compound aspirin and ABC.It is mainly composed of aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine. In addition to antipyretic and pain relief, it can be used for colds and other diseases.

Adults take Pain Relief Tablets three times a day, one tablet each time.Analgesic tablets are taken three times a day for adults, 1-2 tablets each time.

Since aspirin is included in the painkiller tablet, it can seriously stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, so patients with stomach problems should not take it.

How to take Chinese patent medicine

Proprietary Chinese medicines are finished medicines made of traditional Chinese medicines that are easy to take and store.There are pills, tablets, potions, powders, ointments, wine, etc.

Attention should be paid to taking Chinese medicine:
(1) Pay attention to the dosage.There is a scientific basis for how much each medicine should be taken, and it should not be taken less or more.If the effect of general drugs (except toxic ones) is not obvious after taking, and there is no adverse reaction, the dose can be increased gradually.

(2) Pay attention to the best time to take medicine every day.Nutritious drugs should be taken on an empty stomach; those that strengthen the stomach and eliminate food should be taken 15 minutes after meals; calming and tranquilizing drugs and alcohol should be taken half an hour before going to bed.

(3) Pay attention to how to take it.The bolus medicine can be chewed in the mouth, and then sent down with plain water; it can also be cut into small cubes and kneaded into small pills to take; or the pills can be made into a paste with water.

Don't give medicine to children
During the growth and development of children, the metabolism is strong, the blood circulation time is short, the absorption and excretion are fast, the resistance is weak, and they are sensitive to drug reactions. Improper drug use will cause adverse reactions.

Long-term use of corticosteroids such as prednisone, or immunosuppressive agents such as cyclophosphamide can lead to delayed bone growth, and long-term use of tetracycline in premature infants can cause bone growth arrest.

Drugs such as tetracycline, corticosteroids, and vitamin A can increase brain pressure or cause cerebral edema, and corticosteroids can also affect children's metabolism of calcium, resulting in tetany.Streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, polymycin, etc. can cause hearing loss, cause deafness, and children who cannot speak can also cause dumbness after deafness.

Overdose of chloramphenicol, tetracycline, aureomycin, novobiocin, chlorpromazine, isoniazid, etc. can lead to toxic hepatitis.

Long-term use of corticosteroids such as dexamethasone can cause peptic ulcers, and long-term use of chloramphenicol can cause aplastic anemia in children; excessive use of sulfonamides can cause thrombocytopenia.

It can be seen that children should not use drugs indiscriminately when they are sick, especially drugs with relatively large side effects. The dosage should not be too large, and the duration of medication should not be too long.

Aspirin is banned in children
Aspirin can cause a very serious form of Reye's syndrome, a rare childhood liver and brain disease, so any form of aspirin should never be given to children under the age of 12 unless specifically directed by a doctor.

How to give medicine to a toddler
Many children are reluctant to take the medicine properly. Parents are so anxious to press their arms, pull their heads, and pinch their noses that they forcefully pour the medicine into their mouths; the children struggle desperately and cry loudly. got sweaty.Some parents dissolve the medicine in milk, put it into a feeding bottle, and let the child eat it, which is not good.Because the dose of medicine for children is very small, some of them stick to the bottle, and the dose is not enough.The following describes how to give the medicine.

(1) Do not breastfeed before feeding the medicine, and do not let the child drink too much water, so as not to cause vomiting when feeding the medicine.

(2) When pouring the medicine, do not insert the spoon straight down the tongue, it is easy to choke, insert the spoon from the corner of the child's mouth, pour it on the tongue and stop for a while, and then take it out when swallowing. Move lightly.

(3) A small amount of sour juice can be given after feeding the medicine to avoid vomiting.

(4) If the child does not cooperate, or the medicine tastes too bitter, put some jam in the spoon and coax him to eat it.

(5) When feeding capsule powder, sometimes half of a capsule is needed, but after a capsule is separated, the two halves are not plugged, and it is inevitable that the medicine will be spilled in the mouth, and children often vomit because of this.The best way is to block the separated openings with rice grains or pasta, which saves money and achieves the desired effect.

Beware of drug-induced deafness
According to the survey, the deafness and dumbness caused by drugs in our country have increased in recent years. In the 50s, it was less than 3%, and after the 70s, it rose to 28% to 35%.Many deaf children are caused by improper medication.According to statistics, there are about 500 million deaf patients in my country, of which more than 300 million are poisonous deafness caused by improper medication.

Both theoretical research and clinical practice have shown that many drugs, especially streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin and novobiocin in antibiotics, can damage human auditory nerves. Such antibiotics have the effect of "deafness". sex antibiotics".In the past, when a child developed a general fever, cold, or mild upper respiratory tract infection, some parents often asked the doctor to give the child antibiotic injections in order to recover early.As everyone knows, antibiotics are not a panacea, blind abuse is often counterproductive, especially "deaf antibiotics" should be used with caution.Clinical studies have found that about 10% of children who receive streptomycin in a short period of time develop deafness, and those who suffer from auditory nerve dysfunction due to long-term injection can reach as high as 75%.It is worth noting that the use of such drugs by pregnant women and nursing mothers can also cause congenital deafness in fetuses and young children.Researchers have specifically investigated that 7% of drug-induced deaf children are caused by drugs during pregnancy and lactation.

Clinicians also found that a small number of children are very sensitive to "deafness antibiotics". As long as they are used once or twice by accident, they can cause deafness, and the early symptoms of deafness are not obvious. Often it is too late.In this regard, experts pointed out that the use of "deaf antibiotics" on infants and young children should be avoided as much as possible. If the condition requires it, it must be used. The doctor should explain the toxicity of the drug and the observation method to the parents, and the parents should closely observe the drug reaction according to the doctor's instructions. Once the child has symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, dizziness, numbness of hands, feet and lips, it should be reported to the doctor as soon as possible, and the drug should be stopped immediately.

Three taboos for the elderly

The elderly have three taboos when taking medication due to aging changes in their body organs.One avoids drug abuse.In old age, the body's immune system weakens, and it is easy to get sick. If you don't follow the doctor's advice to take the medicine, after abuse, it will increase the burden on the liver, kidney and other organs.Second, avoid large doses.The principle of medication for the elderly is: the dose should be small, not large, and should not exceed 3/4 of the adult dose.Be more cautious when using two drugs at the same time.Three bogey abuse of antibiotics.Some people regard antibiotics as a "panacea", and think that eating "vegetarian" can solve a cold or fever.However, according to the analysis, the abuse of antibiotics can cause superinfection (that is, flora alternation syndrome), and there will be serious consequences.

(End of this chapter)