Definitions

Question 1

Adverse effects

Answer 1

Drug effects that are not the desired therapeutic effects; may be unpleasant or even dangerous.

Question 2

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 2

The way the body deals with a drug, including absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.

Question 3

Pharmacology

Answer 3

The study of the biological effects of chemicals.

Question 4

Antagonist

Answer 4

Drugs that interact with a receptor site but do not cause an effect, but blocks it.

Question 5

Absorption

Answer 5

What happens to a drug from the time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid; IV administration causes the drug to directly enter the circulating blood, bypassing the many complications of absorption from other routes.

Question 6

Excretion

Answer 6

Removal of a drug from the body; primarily occurs in the kidneys, but can also occur through the skin, lungs, bile or faeces.

Question 7

Negative Feedback System

Answer 7

Control system in which increasing levels of hormone lead to decreased levels of releasing and stimulating hormones, leading to decreased hormone levels, which stimulates the release of releasing and stimulating hormones; allows tight control of the endocrine system.

Question 8

Half-life

Answer 8

The time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to half of the peak level it previously achieved.

Question 9

Corticosteroids

Answer 9

Steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex; includes androgens, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Question 10

First-pass effect

Answer 10

A phenomenon in which drugs given orally are carried directly to the liver after absorption, where they may be largely inactivated by liver enzymes before they can enter the general circulation; oral drugs are frequently given in higher doses than drugs given by other routes because of early breakdown.

Question 11

Agonist

Answer 11

Drugs that interact directly with the receptor site to cause an effect.

Question 12

Loading dose

Answer 12

Use of a higher dose than that which is usually used for treatment to allow the drug to reach the effective concentration sooner.

Question 13

Teratogenic

Answer 13

Having adverse affects on the foetus.

Question 14

Glycogen

Answer 14

Storage form of glucose; can be broken down for rapid glucose level increase during times of stress.

Question 15

Competitive antagonist

Answer 15

Drugs that interact with a receptor, blocking the ability of another drug to combine with it.

Question 16

Drug Allergy

Answer 16

Formation of antibodies to a drug or drug protein; causes an immune response when the person is next exposed to that drug.