EMT205 Key Terms

Question 1

*absorption

Answer 1

the process by which drug molecules are moved from the site of entry into the body into the general circulation

Question 2

acetylcholine

Answer 2

a neurotransmitter, widely distributed in body tissues, with the primary function of mediating the synaptic activity of the nervous system

Question 3

adrenergic

Answer 3

of or pertaining to the sympathetic nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system, which use epinephrine or epinephrine-like substances as neurotransmitters

Question 4

*agonists

Answer 4

drugs that combine with receptors and initiate the expected response

Question 5

alpha-adrenergic receptor

Answer 5

any one of the postulated adrenergic components of receptor tissues that responds to norepinephrine and to various blocking agents

Question 6

*antagonists

Answer 6

agents designed to inhibit or counteract the effects of other drugs or undesired effects caused by normal or hyperactive physiological mechanisms

Question 7

anticholinergic

Answer 7

of or pertaining to the blocking of acetylcholine receptors, resulting in inhibition of transmission of parasympathetic nerve impulses

Question 8

beta-adrenergic receptor

Answer 8

any of the postulated adrenergic components of receptor tissues that respond to epinephrine and various blocking agents

Question 9

*biological half-life

Answer 9

the time required to metabolize or eliminate half of the total amount of a drug in the body

Question 10

biotransformation

Answer 10

the process by which a drug is converted chemically to metabolite

Question 11

*blood-brain barrier

Answer 11

an anatomical-physiological feature of the brain thought to consist of walls of capillaries in the central nervous system and surrounding glial membranes; its function is to prevent or slow the passage of chemical compound from the blood into the central nervous system

Question 12

*chemical name

Answer 12

the exact designation of a chemical structure as determined by the rules of chemical nomenclature (example: “1,2,3-Trinitroxypropane”)

This is almost never used to identify the drug in a clinical environment

Question 13

cholinergic

Answer 13

of or pertaining to the effects produced by the parasympathetic nervous system or drugs that simulate or antagonize the parasympathetic nervous system

Question 14

*contraindications

Answer 14

medical or physiological factors that make it harmful to administer a medication that would otherwise have a therapeutic effect

Question 15

*controlled substances

Answer 15

any drug defined in the categories of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (aka the Controlled Substances Act) of 1970

Examples include: midazolam, lorazepam, diazepam, ketamine, morphine, fentanyl, codeine, and more

Question 16

cumulative action

Answer 16

the effect that occurs when several doses of a drug are administered or when absorption occurs more quickly than removal by excretion or metabolism or both

Question 17

distribution

Answer 17

the transport of a drug through the bloodstream to various tissues of the body and ultimately to its site of action

Question 18

*drug interaction(s)

Answer 18

modification of the effects of one drug by the previous or concurrent administration of another drug, thereby increasing or diminishing the pharmacological or physiological action of one or both drugs (e.g. Calcium Chloride and Sodium Bicarbonate should NEVER be mixed in the same IV line)

Question 19

drug receptors

Answer 19

parts of a cell with which a drug molecule interacts to trigger its desired response or effect

Question 20

*dystonia

Answer 20

a condition characterized by local or diffuse changes in muscle tone, resulting in painful muscle spasms, unusually fixed postures, and strange movement patterns

Question 21

effective dose 50 (ED50)

Answer 21

the amount of drug that produces a therapeutic response in 50% of those who take it

Question 22

*effector organ

Answer 22

a muscle or gland that responds to nerve impulses from the central nervous system

Question 23

endorphin

Answer 23

any of several peptides secreted in the brain that have a pain-relieving effect like morphine

Question 24

*excretion

Answer 24

the elimination of toxic or inactive metabolites, primarily by the kidneys; the intestines, lungs, and mammary, sweat, and salivary glands also may be involved

Question 25

*first-pass metabolism

Answer 25

the initial biotransformation of a drug during passage through the liver from the portal vein that occurs before the drug reaches the general circulation

Question 26

*generic name

Answer 26

the official, established name assigned to a drug (example: “nitroglycerin”)

Question 27

idiopathic

Answer 27

arising from an obscure or unknown cause

Question 28

idiosyncrasy

Answer 28

an abnormal or peculiar response to a drug

Question 29

*loading dose

Answer 29

a large quantity of drug that temporarily exceeds the capacity of the body to excrete the drug

Question 30

*maintenance dose

Answer 30

the amount of a drug required to keep a desired steady state of drug concentration in tissues

Question 31

neurotransmitter

Answer 31

a chemical that is released from one neuron at the presynaptic nerve fiber

Question 32

nonselective beta-blocking agents

Answer 32

agents that block beta(1)- and beta(2)-receptor sites

Question 33

*official name

Answer 33

the name of a drug that is followed by the initials USP (United States Pharmacopeia) or NF (National Formulary), denoting its listing in one of the official publications; usually the same as the generic name (example: “Nitroglycerine Sublingual Tablets, USP”)

Question 34

orphan drug

Answer 34

a medication that has been developed specifically to treat a rare medical condition

Question 35

*parenteral

Answer 35

of or pertaining to any medication route other than the alimentary canal (aka gastrointestinal tract)

Question 36

partial reabsorption

Answer 36

the reabsorption from the renal tubule by passive diffusion

Question 37

*pharmaceutics

Answer 37

the science of dispensing drugs

Question 38

*pharmacodynamics

Answer 38

the study of how a drug acts on a living organism

Question 39

*pharmacokinetics

Answer 39

the study of how the body handles a drug over a period of time, including the processes of absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and excretion

Question 40

placebo

Answer 40

an inactive substance or a less than effective dose of a harmless substance; it is used in experimental drug studies to compare the effects of the inactive substance with those of the experimental drug

Question 41

*placental barrier

Answer 41

a protective biological membrane that separates the blood vessels of the mother and the fetus

Question 42

potentiation

Answer 42

enhancement of the effect of a drug, caused by concurrent administration of two drugs in which one drug increases the effect of the other

Question 43

selective beta-blocking agents

Answer 43

agents block beta(1) or beta(2) receptors

Question 44

summation

Answer 44

the combined effects of two drugs that equal the sum of the individual effects of each agents

Question 45

synergism

Answer 45

the combined action of two drugs that is greater than the sum of each agent acting independently

Question 46

*tardive dyskinesia

Answer 46

a potentially irreversible neurological disorder characterized by involuntary repetitious movements of the muscles of the face, limbs, and trunk

Question 47

*therapeutic action

Answer 47

the desired, intended action of a drug

Question 48

*therapeutic index (TI)

Answer 48

a measurement of the relative safety of a drug

Question 49

therapeutic range

Answer 49

the range of plasma concentrations that is most likely to produce the desired drug effect with the least likelihood of toxicity; the range between minimal effective concentration and toxic level

Question 50

*tolerance

Answer 50

a physiological response that requires that a drug dosage by increased to produce the same effect formerly produced by a smaller dose

Question 51

*trade name

Answer 51

the trademark name of a drug, designated by the drug company that sells the medication (example: Nitrostat)