A client has been taking benzonatate (Tessalon Perles) as prescribed. A nurse concludes that the medication is having the intended effect if the client experiences:
A. Decreased anxiety level.
B. Increased comfort level.
C. Reduction of N/V.
D. Decreased frequency and intensity of cough.
Correct Answer: D. Decreased frequency and intensity of cough.
Benzonatate is a locally acting antitussive the effectiveness of which is measured by the degree to which it decreases the intensity and frequency of cough without eliminating the cough reflex. Benzonatate is an oral antitussive drug used in the relief and suppression of cough in patients older than ten years of age. Currently, benzonatate is the only non-narcotic antitussive available as a prescription drug. It works to reduce the activity of cough reflex by desensitizing the tissues of the lungs and pleura involved in the cough reflex.
Option A: Because its chemical structure resembles that of the anesthetic agents in the para-amino-benzoic acid class (such as [procaine] and [tetracaine]), benzonatate exhibits anesthetic or numbing action. Although it is not prone to drug misuse or abuse, benzonatate is associated with a risk for severe toxicity and overdose, especially in children.
Option B: Benzonatate suppresses cough associated with both acute and chronic respiratory conditions. It works by desensitizing the pulmonary stretch receptors involved in the cough reflex. There are limited clinical trials of benzonatate; however, earlier studies demonstrated inhibition of experimentally-induced cough and subjectively-measured pathological cough by benzonatate.
Option C: Benzonatate is a synthetic butylamino-benzoate derivative related to tetracaine and a peripherally acting antitussive, non narcotic Benzonatate reduces the cough reflex by anesthetizing and depressing mechanoreceptors in the respiratory passages, lungs, and pleura. It is recommended for cough relief in the common cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, and for chronic cough such as in asthma.
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