Chapter 16: General Pharmacology Flashcards
Pharmacology
the study of drugs, their sources, characteristics, and effects
6 medications you will be able to administer or assist with in the field
- aspirin
- oral glucose
- prescribed bronchodilator inhalers
- nitroglycerin
- epinephrine auto-injectors
- activated charcoal/naloxone
Aspirin
a medication used to reduce the clotting ability of blood to prevent and treat clots associated with myocardial infarction
Oral Glucose
a form of glucose (a kind of sugar) given by mouth to treat an awake patient (who is able to swallow) with an altered mental status and a history of diabetes
Oxygen
- a gas commonly found in the atmosphere
- pure O2 is used as a drug to treat any pt whose medical or traumatic condition may cause him to be hypoxic, or low in O2
Activated Charcoal
- a powder prepared from charred wood, usually premixed with water to treat poisoning or overdose.
- absorb some poisons (bind them to the surfaces of the charcoal) and help prevent them from being absorbed by the body
Inhaler
a spray device with a mouthpiece that contains an aerosol form of a medication that a pt can spray into his airway
Nitroglycerin
a drug that helps to dilate the coronary vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood
Epinephrine
a drug that helps to constrict the blood vessels and relax passages of the airway; may be used to counter a severe allergic reaction
Atomizer
a device attached to the end of a syringe that atomizes medication (turns it into very fine droplets)
Naloxone
an antidote for narcotic overdoses; injected or used as nasal spray
Force protection medications
- administer these medications to yourself and your partner if you found yourself exposed to certain weapons of mass destruction such as nerve gas
- ex. atropine in auto-injector form to treat responders in the event of a chemical weapons attack
How many names does each drug actually have?
- at least 3; chemical name, generic name, and one or more trade (brand) names
- ex. epinephrine is a generic drug name, chemical name is B-(3,4 dihydroxyphenyl)-a-methylaminoethanol, trade name is Epi-pen
Indications
- specific signs or circumstances under which it is appropriate to administer a drug to a pt
- ex. nitro is indicated when a pt has chest pain or squeezing, dull pressure
Contraindications
- specific signs or circumstances under which it is not appropriate and may be harmful to administer a drug to a pt
- ex. nitro is contraindicated if the ptas low blood pressure b/c nitro, in dilating the blood vessels, causes a slight drop in the systolic blood pressure
Side effect
- any action of a drug other than the desired action
- ex. drop in bp from nitro
Untoward effect
- an effect of a medication in addition to its desired effect that may be potentially harmful to the pt
Parenteral
- referring to a route of medication administration that does not use the gastrointestinal tract, such as an intravenous medication
- ex. epinephrine from an auto-injector
Enteral
referring to a route of medication administration that uses the gastrointestinal tract, such as swallowing a pill
Off-line medical direction
not actually speak to a physician to ask permission; use standing orders, which are orders in the form of protocol
On-line medical direction
- speak directly to a physician to obtain verbal permission to administer a medication; verbal confirmation required
- listen to the order, repeat the order back
Five rights
- Do I have the right pt?
- Is it the right time to administer this medication?
- Is this the right medication?
- Is this the right dose?
- Am I giving this medication by the right route of administration?
- Do I have the right pt?
- Does this medication belong to the pt?
- Is this the same pt medical direction approved a medication order for?
- Is it the right time to administer this medication?
- Have I made the right decision to administer the medication based on what I am seeing?
- Is it appropriate under these circumstances to give this particular medication?
- Is this the right medication?
- Did I pick up the right bottle?
- Am I sure this is the correct medication?
- Is this the right dose?
- Have I double-checked?
- Am I sure I am giving the correct amount?
- Am I giving this medication by the right route of administration?
oral, injection, nasal, etc.
Routes of administration (9)
- Oral, or swallowed
- Sublingual, or dissolved under the tongue
- Inhaled, or breathed into the lungs, usually as tiny aerosol particles (such as from an inhaler) or as a gas (such as oxygen)
- Intranasal, or sprayed into the nostrils
- Intravenous, or injected into a vein
- Intramuscular, or injected into a muscle
- Subcutaneous, or injected under the skin
- Intraosseous, or injected into the bone marrow cavity
- Endotracheal, or sprayed directly into a tube inserted into the trachea
Pharmacodynamics
the study of the effects of medications on the body
Good documentation includes:
- the name of the medication
- the dose of the medication
- the route of administration of the medication
- time of administration
- any effects noted
Analgesics
drugs prescribed for pain relief
Antidysrhythmics
drugs prescribed for heart rhythm disorders
Anticonvulsants
drugs prescribed for prevention and control of seizures
Antihypertensives
drugs prescribed to reduce high blood pressure
Bronchodilators
drugs that relax the smooth muscles of the bronchial tubes; these meds provide relief of bronchial, asthma, and allergies affecting the respiratory system
Antidiabetic agents
drugs prescribed to diabetic pts to control hyperglycemia
Antidepressant agents
drugs prescribed to help regulate the emotional activity of the pt to minimize the peaks and valleys in their psychological and emotional states
