Anesthesia Vocabulary Flashcards
Agonist
A drug that activates a receptor by binding to it and initiating a biological response
Antagonist
A drug that binds to a receptor without activating it, thereby blocking the receptor from being activated by other substances.
Competitive antagonism
A type of antagonism where the antagonist inhibits the response of an agonist by competing for the same receptor binding site.
Non-competitive antagonism
A type of antagonism where the antagonist binds to a different site on the receptor, making it less responsive to agonists even at high concentrations.
Partial agonists
Drugs that activate receptors but to a lesser extent than full agonists, resulting in a partial biological response.
Inverse agonists
Drugs that induce the opposite effect of an agonist by binding to the same receptor site and producing a negative response.
Tolerance
A decreased response to the same dose of a drug over time, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect.
Pharmacokinetics
The quantitative study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
Central volume
The volume of distribution at steady state for anesthetics, which reflects their distribution throughout the central compartment of the body.
Vessel rich group
The primary targets for bolus injection of anesthetics, including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver, which have a high blood flow.
Zero-order processes
Processes in which the rate of elimination or consumption of a drug remains constant regardless of the drug concentration.
First-order processes
Processes in which the rate of elimination of a drug is proportional to the total amount of drug present in the body.
Elimination Half-time
The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by half during a constant concentration infusion or after a bolus dose.
Elimination Half-life
The time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by 50% through elimination processes.
Context-sensitive half-time
The time required for the blood plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by 50% after discontinuation, taking into account the drug’s elimination characteristics.
Clearance
The amount of drug that is extracted by an organ per unit of time, indicating the organ’s ability to eliminate the drug.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of how drugs interact with the body and produce their effects, including the intrinsic sensitivity or response of the body to a drug.
Stereochemistry
The study of how molecules are structured in three dimensions, which can affect their biological activity.
Chirality
A subset of stereochemistry that deals with molecules having the same central atom but different arrangements of surrounding atoms, resulting in mirror forms that are non-superimposable.
Enantiomerism
The existence of mirror-image forms of the same molecule that are non-superimposable, known as enantiomers.
Racemic
A 50:50 mixture of two enantiomers, resulting in no net optical rotation.
Pharmacogenetics
The study of how individual genetic variations can influence a patient’s response to drugs, particularly in terms of drug metabolism.
Amnesia
A state of unconsciousness and suppression of arousal and memory recall or consolidation.
Recall
The ability to retrieve stored memory and bring it into conscious awareness.
Sedation
The induction of a state of decreased consciousness at different depths, including Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 sedation.
General anesthesia
A medically induced state of loss of consciousness with simultaneous loss of protective reflexes, allowing for surgical procedures to be performed.
Analgesia
The absence of pain or the relief of pain without loss of consciousness.
Allodynia
The perception of pain in response to a non-painful stimulus, such as a light touch.
Hyperalgesia
An abnormal or heightened sensitivity to pain, resulting in an exaggerated response to painful stimuli.
Sensitization
The process of increasing responsiveness to receptor transmission, leading to enhanced responses to subsequent stimuli
Neuropathic pain
Pain that persists after tissue injury has healed, often caused by damage or dysfunction of the nervous system.
Somatic pain
Distinct, easily localized pain that arises from the skin, muscles, bones, or connective tissues.
Visceral pain
Diffuse, poorly localized pain that originates from the internal organs, often accompanied by emotional and automatic responses.
Neuralgia
Intense, intermittent pain along a nerve or group of nerves, often caused by nerve damage or irritation.
Tachyphylaxis
A rapid and decreased response to repeated administration of a compound, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect.
Additive
The combination of doses that results in a summated effect equal to the sum of their individual effects.
Synergistic
The interaction between compounds that produces a greater effect than the sum of their individual effects, allowing for lower doses to achieve the desired outcome.
Efficacy
The ability of a drug to produce a physiological or clinical effect, often measured by the magnitude of the response.
Potency
The ability of a drug to produce an effect at a given dose, often measured by the concentration required to produce a specific response.
Median effective dose (ED50)
The dose of a drug that is required to produce a specific effect in 50% of individuals.
Median lethal dose (LD50)
The dose of a drug that is lethal for 50% of individuals.
Therapeutic index
The ratio of the median lethal dose (LD50) to the median effective dose (ED50), providing an indication of the safety margin of a drug.
Acute pain
Short-term pain that occurs immediately after an injury or surgical procedure, typically resolving as the underlying cause heals.
Chronic pain
Persistent pain that lasts beyond the expected healing time of the underlying cause, often lasting for months or even years.
