Antithyroid drugs essential

Before a patient starts therapy with an antithyroid drug, die nurse obtains a history of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. It is important to include vital signs, weight, and a notation regarding the outward symptoms of die hyperthyroidism (see Table 51-1) in the physical assessment. If die patient is prescribed an iodine solution, it is essential that die nurse take a careful allergy history, particularly to iodine or seafood (which contains iodine). 

The main role of the human thyroid gland is production of thyroid hormones (iodinated amino acids), essential for adequate growth, development, and energy metabolism (1-6). Thyroid underfunction is an occurrence that can be treated successfully with thyroid preparations. In addition, the thyroid secretes calcitonin (also known as thyrocalcitonin), a polypeptide that lowers excessively high calcium blood levels. Thyroid hyperfunction, another important clinical entity, can be corrected by treatment with a variety of substances known as antithyroid drugs. 

The drug fails to cause interference with the release or usage of accumulated thyroid hormone and the time-gap that essentially elapses between the very initial stage of medication together with the manifestations of its antithyroid activity entirely depends upon the quantum of thyroid hormone present in the gland (thyroid). The resulting marked and pronormced hyperplasia of the thyroid gland which follows soonafter its administration, in fact, is a consequence of a compensatory enhancement of thyroprotein release as a result in the thyroid hormone titer value of the blood. 

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