1 A 33 year old man a new admission from the medicalsurgical

1.     A 33 year old man, a new admission from the medical-surgical unit to the step-down critical care unit, underwent a thyroidectomy 2 days ago. While reviewing the orders, you notice that the patient is to be started on a thyroid drug upon transfer to your unit. The written order specify that 25 mcg of levothyroxine should be given once daily. However, the pharmacy has sent 25 mcg of liothyronine, another thyroid replacement product. Because the dose of each is the same, is it safe to administer the liothyronine? Explain your answer.

indicate where you get your information from, References must be cited and the website

Solution

Yes, it would be safer to administer liothyronine in comparison to levothyroxine. Please note that levothyroxine is T4 hormone produced by the thyroid gland of our body and liothyronine is T3.

T3 is more potent and safer than T4. Among T3 and T4, the T3 hormone is more metabolically active hormone. T3 hormone will burn fat in short duration, and provide relief from hypothyroidism faster than T4. T3 enhances the production of T4 in the body also.

It is important to known that administration of levothyroxine may result in T4 thyrotoxicosis.