Drug classifications Flashcards
analgesic
provide mild to moderate pain relief without interfering with the patient’s level of consciousness; most useful for minor to moderate symptoms of traumatic injury and skeletal muscle aches and pains.
Prostaglandin inhibitors and antagonists, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), and COX-2 inhibitors
ex: Advil, naproxen, Celebrex, aspirin, Tylenol
anesthetic
topical agents may be used to facilitate suturing of traumatic lacerations, with effects lasting for a few hours. Produces a lack of feeling. May be local or general, depending on the type and the route of administration. Most of the drug’s effects resolve with discontinuation of the drug, but some residual effects can remain for several hours following
interfere with the body’s ability to experience pain sensations, blocking conduction of neural impulses or enhancing naturally occurring inhibitory channels
ex: lidocaine
antacids
Aluminum-containing antacids can cause constipation; those containing magnesium can cause diarrhea; and those containing calcium can increase serum calcium levels and decrease phosphate levels. All these drugs can have significant effects on the metabolism of other medications, which might cause toxicity or prevent absorption.
Neutralize stomach acid by increasing pH
antianxiety
relieve anxiety and muscle tension. They are supplied in oral and injectable forms, and some are available for intravenous injection.
Produces a calming effect or increases a patient’s feelings of well-being by helping balance certain chemicals in the brain, either enhancing some or decreasing the effects of others
benzodiazepines: diazepam (Valium) and chlordiazepoxide HCl (Librium)
Antiarrhythmic
Cardiac electrical rhythm is maintained through a balance of chemical activity.
control cardiac arrhythmias by altering chemical activity through suppression of extra electrical impulses or blocking the effects of certain chemicals
Class I drugs act on sodium channels by slowing conduction in fast-channel tissues that are in the atria and ventricles.
Class II drugs are beta-blockers, working on the slow-channel tissues of the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes. *These drugs are contraindicated in asthmatic patients.
Class III drugs interfere with potassium channels to prolong the period in which the next heart beat can occur. These drugs work in slow- and fast-channel tissues to reduce automaticity (the capacity of all cardiac tissues to conduct impulses) without interfering with the conduction velocity (speed of impulse conduction) of impulses that are permitted.
Class IV drugs work by blocking calcium channels, reducing automaticity, conduction velocity, and refractoriness (increasing the period in which the next heart beat can occur).
Anticholinergic
Used for stomach and intestinal cramping and reduction of acid secretion
Blocks parasympathetic nerve impulses to slow stomach and intestinal tract activity
Anticoagulant
Used for patients with a genetic trait that causes them to form clots more readily than others, those with an irregular heart rhythm, patients with artificial heart valve, those at increased risk of heart attack or stroke from clots of any source.
Commonly referred to as blood thinners, these medications do not really thin the blood, but they inhibit the action of blood proteins the body uses to form clots in response to injury or inflammation. Coumadin requires careful monitoring; Lovenox does not.
Prevents or delays blood clotting and prevents existing clots from extending or getting larger
Anticonvulsant
Seizures or convulsions are caused by sudden or abnormal amounts of electrical activity in the brain, which can be a result of a chemical imbalance or a traumatic injury. Prevents or relieves seizures by halting or delaying transmission of excess electrical impulse; prevents skeletal muscles from responding to the impulses
Antiemetic
In controlling nausea and vomiting, the antiemetic chosen is based on the suspected cause of the symptoms as well as underlying medical problems and other medications the patient might be taking. Pregnancy, motion sickness, chemotherapy, migraines, and postoperative nausea are causes of nausea that can require the use of antiemetics.
Prevents or relieves nausea and vomiting by blocking the effects of dopamine, serotonin, or histamine release
Antihypertensive
Blood pressure control is essential in patients with hypertension to protect them from kidney damage, heart complications, and stroke. Patients often experience fatigue, sexual side effects, or other symptoms that can interfere with their willingness to continue drug therapy.
Prevents or controls high blood pressure through decreasing heart rate, dilating blood vessels, or reducing circulating fluid volume
ex: methyldopa (Aldomet), clonidine HCl (Catapres), metoprolol tartrate (Lopressor)
Antineoplastic
Although antineoplastic agents are very useful in treating cancers, they have toxic effects on healthy tissues as well and cause a number of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects.
Stops the development, maturation, or spread of a neoplasm or cancer cell
Antiplatelets
Patients who are at increased risk of heart or stroke from blood clots. Antiplatelets do not require the monitor associated with anticoagulants and have less of a bleeding risk. Patients would be advised of increased tendency toward bruising or bleeding.
Interferes with the stickiness of platelets to help prevent blood clot formation.
Antipyretic
Febrile seizures in toddlers have not been shown to be predictive of seizures when the child is older.
Reduces fever by acting on the hypothalamus, the heat-regulating part of the brain
ex: aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Diuretic
Useful either alone or in combination with other drugs to treat hypertension, heart failure, pulmonary edema, edema associated with severe head trauma, and glaucoma.
Increases the production of urine and decreases circulating fluid volume by increasing renal blood flow to improve filtration and by decreasing sodium reabsorption
ex: chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix), Mannitol (Osmitrol)
Hemostatic
May be supplied in an oral form for a genetic clotting deficiency; injectable for surgical bleeding or to reverse the effects of anticoagulant medications; or as a topical dressing containing a hemostatic agent used for external bleeding.
Encourages the formation of a blood clot to control or stop bleeding
Insulin
Injectable insulin is given on a routine schedule based on mealtimes to help the body use sugars. In emergencies, the insulin may be given through an IV. To decrease the number of injections a person receives, some insulins may be combined in one injection.
Insulin lowers blood glucose levels to a normal range by allowing the sugar to cross the cell membrane to be used for energy. There at least 20 types of insulins, which are divided into four basic categories: rapid-acting, regular or short-acting, intermediate, and long-acting insulins. Some patients require more than one type of insulin to control their diabetes.
Muscle relaxant
These medications are NOT interchangeable for muscle spasms of different disease processes or injuries.
Muscles spasms are caused by peripheral musculoskeletal problems, such as back or neck pain, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis. The mechanism of action is not well understood. Most appear to act on receptor sites in the central nervous system; a few act directly on striated muscle tissue.
Vasodilator
Increases blood supply to tissues, i.e., the heart muscle, to prevent permanent damage and to lower blood pressure. Caution patients beginning a new vasodilator to sit or lie down to avoid an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Use in conjunction with Cialis or Viagra can cause a dangerous and irreversible drop in blood pressure.
Relaxes the smooth muscle inside the vessel walls to cause the inner diameter of the vessel wall to widen, lowering blood pressure and allowing for increased circulation to the area supplied by the vessel
ex: isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), nitroglycerin
Vasopressor
Either during or following major surgery, sepsis, or significant blood loss, patients might need chemical blood pressure support in the form of a vasopressor. These are available only in IV form to be used in the hospital setting.
Causes contraction of the smooth muscles that line the walls of blood vessels to increase blood pressure
ex: Neo-Synephrine, norepinephrine (Levophed)
