Diazepam Nursing Considerations, Side Effects, and Mechanism of Action Pharmacology for Nurses

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 21:08:25 +0000

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Diazepam

Generic Name: diazepam

Trade Name: Valium

Indication:
anxiety, pre-op sedation, conscious sedation, treatment of seizures, insomnia, management of alcohol withdrawal Action decreases the effects of voltage gated sodium channels to depresses the CNS

Therapeutic Class: antianxiety agents, anticonvulsants, sedative/hypnotics, skeletal muscle relaxants (centrally acting)

Pharmacologic Class: Benzodiazepine Nursing Considerations
 contraindicated in hepatic dysfunction
 use caution with renal impairment
 can cause dizziness, drowsiness, lethargy, hypotension, physical dependence, tolerance
 instruct patient to take as directed
 caution to avoid alcohol use
 Flumazenil (Romazicon) is the reversal agent