Ch. 7: Drugs for Allergy and Respiratory Problems Flashcards
Take Leukotriene Inhibitors
on an empty stomach
Leukotriene inhibitors uses
Treat acute or chronic asthma in patients unable to take inhaled glucocorticoids
Asthma Prophylaxis Medications
Cromolyn sodium
Nedocromil sodium
Asthma Prophylaxis actions
Works at the surface of the mast cell as a mast cell stabilizer to prevent the release of histamine, leukotrienes, and slow-reacting substances of anaphylaxis
Decongestion
Directly affect alpha receptors of blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, causing vasoconstriction
Decongestant uses
Relieve nasal congestion from allergies and upper respiratory infections
Hypertension is a contraindication for
decongestants
Corticosteroids
Block reaction to allergens and reduce airway hyperresponsiveness
Inhibit cytokine production, protein activation, and inflammatory cell migration and activation
Corticosteroids uses
Inhaled, long-term asthma control
Systemic; often used to get quick control of the disease when beginning long-term therapy or to speed recovery from severe episodes
Four classes of asthma
The four classes of asthma severity include mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent.
Asthma
is a condition that involves increased inflammation, swelling, and mucus production that lead to bronchiolar constriction
An asthmatic
is able to breathe air into the lungs but has difficulty breathing out. Wheezing results because the person works to force air out through narrowed, mucus-filled passages during expiration.
COPD
is a chronic, disabling disorder that causes destruction of alveolar walls. This destruction creates unequal areas of ventilation and perfusion in the body, and oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange is impaired. Patients experience difficulty in expiration.
Two types of COPD
Chronic bronchitis and emphysema
Bronchodilators
Sympathomimetics: relax smooth muscle of bronchi, vasoconstriction of blood vessels in body, increase the rate and force of heart contraction
Uses of Bronchodilators
Relief of symptoms of bronchospasm in acute or chronic asthma, bronchitis, and COPD
Anticholinergic bronchodilators
Block cholinergic receptors in the airways of the lung causing decreased contractility of smooth muscle.
Uses of anticholinergic bronchodilators
Manage respiratory symptoms of cough, difficulty breathing, and mucous production.
Primarily used in the treatment of COPD
Xanthine bronchodilators
Relax smooth muscle in the bronchi and blood vessels in the lungs
Directly act on the kidney to produce an increase in urine production
CNS effects
Uses of xanthine bronchodilators
Adjunctive therapy for bronchospasm in acute and chronic bronchial asthma, bronchitis, emphysema
Treatment of neonatal apnea
Acute pulmonary edema
Antiinflammatory Drugs
Antiinflammatory, reduce nasal congestion
Uses of antiinflammatory drugs
Treatment of allergic, mechanical, or chemically induced local nasal inflammation or nasal polyps when usual treatment has failed to work
Adverse reaction of antiinflammatory drugs
Asthma, headache, lightheadedness, loss of sense of smell, nasal irritation and dryness, nausea, nosebleeds, perforation of nasal septum, altered sense of taste and smell
Mucolytics
Decrease the thickness of respiratory secretions, which facilitates expectoration
Mucolytics uses
Treat productive cough, assist with thick mucus
Antitussive actions
Depress the cough center in the brain
Anesthetize stretch receptors in the respiratory tract
Soothe irritated areas in the throat
Antitussive uses
Relief of overactive or nonproductive cough
Antitussive adverse reactions
Drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea, postural hypotension
