Respiratory system is the network of organs and tissues that helps you breathe. It include lungs, blood vessels, pharynx, larynx.

1. NAME: OKON GIFT INI
DEPT: NURSING
FACULTY: HEALTH SCIENCE
LEVEL: 300
PRESENTATION ON:
RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS AND RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT

2. RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS AND
RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT
WHAT IS RESIRATORY SYSTEM? Respiratory system
is the network of organs and tissues that helps you breathe.
It include lungs, blood vessels, pharynx, larynx.
RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS
Respiratory stimulants are medications used to
stimulate respiration post anaesthesia or to treat
respiratory conditions such as COPD, Respiratory
depression/ failure and neonatal apnoea.
Respiratory stimulants improve the respiratory
drive and oxygen inflow as a result.

3. HOW DOES STIMULANT WORK
Respiratory stimulant drive
respiration by stimulating the
brain’s respiratory center in the
medulla oblongata located in the
base of the brain. The medulla
senses a rise in carbon dioxide and
drop in oxygen levels in the blood
and stimulate respiration.

4. WAYS RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS IS ADMINISTERED
Respiratory stimulants may be administered as
1. Oral tablet
2. Capsules
3. Lozenges
4. Solutions
5. Intravenous injections or infusions
6. Intramuscular(IM) injections

5. RESPIRATORY STIMULANTS ARE
USED IN THE TREATMENT OF THE
FOLLOWING CONDITIONS
1. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease associated
with hypercapnia( high carbon dioxide level in the
blood).
2. Respiratory depression post onesthesia.
3. Drug-induced central nervous system depression.
4. Fatigue and drowsiness.
5. Respiratory failure.
6. Neonatal apnoea (cessation of breathing in new-born).

6. SIDE EFFECT OF
RESPIRATORY STIMULANT
1. SWEATING.
2. NERVOUSNESS.
3. RESTLESSNESS.
4. VOMITTING.
5. DIARRHEA.
6. TINNITUS (RINGING IN THE EAR).
7. INSOMNIA.
8. HALLUCINATION
9. BURNING / HOT SENSATION ESPECIALLY IN THE
GENITALAND PERINEUM.
10. PARESTHESIA ( PRICKLING SENSATION IN THE SKIN).

7. NAMES OF REPIRATORY STIMULANT DRUGS
1. Cafcit
i. Caffeine
2. Dopram
i. Doxapram
ii. NoDoz
iii. Vivarin

8. RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT
Respiratory depressant (hypoventilation) means
inadequate ventilation to perform needed gas
exchanged. Normal respiratory rates for an adult
person at rest range fro 12-20 breathes per
minutes. 12- 25 breathes per minute while resting
is considered abnormal. Hypoventilation leads to
an increased concentration of carbon dioxide in
the blood (hypercapnia) and respiratory acidosis
(a decrease in blood pH). Respiratory depression
can result from a number of different disease
processes, side effect of medications, such as
opioid pain medications and sedatives.

9. CAUSES OF
RESPIRATORY
DEPRESSION
1.Chest wall deformities (interfere with
the ability to inhale and exhale).
2.Severe obesity (causes the body to
work harder to breathe).
3.Brain injury (interferes with the brain
ability to control basic functions like
breathing).
4.Obstructive sleep apnoea (collapses
airway during sleep).

10. SYMPTOMS OF RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT
1. Depression
2. Confusion
3. Fatigue
4. Headache
5. Dizziness
6. Nausea
7. Being tired during the day
8. Anxiety
9. Slow and shallow breathing
10. Feeling faint
11. Seizures

11. MEDICATION THAT CAUSES
RESPIRATORY DEPRESSANT
1. Alcohol.
2. Benzodiazepines (xanar, Valium, Ativan).
3. Barbiturates (phenobarbital, secobarbital, amobarbital and
pentobarbital)
4. Narcotics or opiods (Morphine, Vicodin, OxyContin,
fentanyl)
5. Illicit drugs (heroin, GHB, desomorphine)
6. Sleeping pills like Ambien and ultram
If treatment is not receive, severe respiratory depression can lead
to:
1. Respiratory arrest.
2. Heart attack.
3. Brain damage.
4. Coma or death. Reduced heart rate.

12. CONCLUSION
In conclusion respiratory stimulants are medications
that stimulates respiration and treats respiratory
conditions. Respiratory depressant is a breathing
disorder characterized by slow and ineffective
breathing. Therefore in this condition medical attention
is needed urgently to avert death.

13. REFERENCE
www.healthline.com
www.rxlist.com
www.medicalnewstoday.com
www.sciencedirect.com