Guaifenesin is an example of an expectorant.
Mechanism of Action: Expectorants reduce the viscosity of tenacious secretions by irritating the gastric vagal receptors that stimulate respiratory tract fluid, thus increasing the volume but decreasing the viscosity of respiratory tract secretions.
Indications: Expectorants are used for a productive cough and for loosening mucus from the respiratory tract.
Nursing Considerations: The medication is safe for all ages. Guaifenesin is only recommended for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding when benefit outweighs the risk.
Side Effects/Adverse Effects: Guaifenesin may cause a skin rash, headache, nausea, and vomiting.[1]
Patient Teaching & Education: Patients should take care to avoid irritants that stimulate their cough. Additionally, the medication can cause drowsiness. Patients should avoid taking them with other CNS depressants or alcohol.[2]
Now let’s take a closer look at the medication grid for guaifenesin in Table 5.9.[3],[4],[5]
Table 5.9 Guaifenesin Medication Grid
Class/Subclass |
Prototype/Generic |
Administration Considerations |
Therapeutic Effects |
Adverse/Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expectorant | guaifenesin | No eating or drinking for 30 minutes after syrup
Encourage patient to cough and deep breath Stay hydrated (2-3 liters/day) |
Helps loosen sputum (mucus) and thin bronchial secretions to make coughs more productive | Increased drowsiness in large doses
Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea |
- Frandsen, G., & Pennington, S. (2018). Abrams’ clinical drug: Rationales for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. ↵
- uCentral from Unbound Medicine. https://www.unboundmedicine.com/ucentral ↵
- This work is a derivative of Pharmacology Notes: Nursing Implications for Clinical Practice by Gloria Velarde licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ↵
- Frandsen, G., & Pennington, S. (2018). Abrams’ clinical drug: Rationales for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer. ↵
- This work is a derivative of DailyMed by U.S. National Library of Medicine in the Public Domain. ↵
