basic concepts and processes review Flashcards
what does an agonist do
produces a response
what does an antagonist do
blocks or inhibits a response
describe nonspecific drug effect
selective to certain receptors but those receptors may be in different organs or tissues
describe nonselective
not selective to just one type of receptor, it can act on different receptors throughout the body
describe therapetic index
ratio that compares drug toxicity to drug effectiveness
describe serum drug levels
how much drug is in the bloodstream
absorption
-process that occurs from the time a drug enters the body to the time it enters the bloodstream to be circulated to tissues
-affected by: dosage, form, route, administration site, food, or other drugs
distribution
transport of drug molecules within the body
metabolism
how the drug is inactivated
mainly liver
excretion
elimation of drug from system
mainly kidneys
trough
when drug level is the lowest
drawn right before next dose
peak
when drug level is highest
what factors affect pharmacokinetics
-dosage (loading vs maintenance)
-route
-drug-diet interactions
-drug-drug interactions
-patient variables
what are black box warnings for
for serious life threatening adverse effects
tolerance
when given the same dose of drug no longer illicits the same response
cross tolerance
a person builds tolerance to one drug and it causes development of tolerance to a similar drug
name some common adverse effects
-glucose alterations (hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia)
-electrolyte imbalances (hypokalemia/hyperkalemia)
-teratogenicity
-sensory effects (ocular or auditory damage)
-neurological effects (parkinson like symptoms, atropine like effects, general CNS effects)
what is a drug allergy
body forms antibodies to a particular drug causing an immune response
what are the four types of hypersensitivity reactions
- anaphylactic
- cytotoxic
- serum sickness
- delayed
describe type 1 hypersensitivity
-immediate, occurs within minutes
-mild: itching, rhinitis
-severe: anaphylaxis, cardiac collapse
describe type 2 hypersensitivity
-cytotoxic
-blood transfusion reactions
describe type 3 hypersensitivity
-immune complex
-serum sickness
-rare
describe type 4 hypersensitivity
-delayed
-tuberculin test, contact dermatitis, graft rejection
name and describe the 5 FDA pregnancy categories that are no longer used
a) no risk
b) animals show no risk, or risk unconfirmed in humans
c) caution is advised, benefits may outweigh risks
d) evidence of risk
x) risk outweighs benefit
how do you monitor toxicology
drug levels, therapeutic ranges
what damage to organs may occur with drug overdose
-dermatological
-superinfections
-blood dyscrasias
-liver/renal injury
a nurse is caring for a patient who has worsening liver disease. in monitoring his medication it is important to know that a patient with liver disease may have impaired drug…
metabolism
the liver is the main organ resposible for metabolism
a patient with an overdose of an unknown oral drug usually receives which antidote?
activated charcoal
this is the “universal antidote” so giving it should block the absorption of the drug
