General Pharmacology Flashcards
There are major differences in the anatomical arrange-
ment of neurons, which lead to variations of the func-
tions in each division of the nervous system. Which of
the following features describes the parasympathetic
nervous system?
(A) Diffuse response (B) Extensive preganglionic fiber branching (C) Ganglia close to the spinal cord (D) Short postganglionic fibers (E) Wide distribution
A 79-year-old man with end-stage Alzheimer’s disease
and dysphagia is taking multiple medications. Physical
examination reveals xerostomia and a limited gag
reflex. Which of the following routes of medication
administration would provide the lowest serum drug
concentration?
(A) Enteral
(B) Intramuscular
(C) Intrathecal
(D) Intravenous
(E) Transdermal
The answer is A: Enteral
A 31-year-old man is brought to the emergency de-
partment complaining of dyspnea. He has a history of
asthma and has had multiple asthma attacks requiring
intubation for airway maintenance. He is noncompli-
ant with his medications prescribed for this condition.
Physical examination reveals a young man in acute
distress. His room air oxygen saturation is 87%. In
addition to administration of oxygen, immediate drug
administration of albuterol should be administered by
which of the following routes?
(A) Inhalation
(B) Intranasal puff metered dose
(C) Subcutaneous
(D) Sublingual
(E) Topical
Answer is (A) inhalation
A 27-year-old female with vulvovaginal candidiasis is
given a one-time 100 mg dose of oral fluconazole. She
has no other pertinent medical problems and takes
no prescription medications. Administration of the
medication results in a peak plasma concentration
of 20 mg/mL. What is the apparent volume of drug
distribution?
(A) 0.5 L
(B) 1 L
(C) 3 L
(D) 5 L
(E) 50 L
Answer is (D) 5 L
A 48-year-old-man with end-stage liver disease is hos-
pitalized on the intensive care unit. Review of his
blood work reveals elevated liver function tests to five
times the normal rate. The patient is receiving multi-
ple intravenous medications. Which of the following
medications is likely to be therapeutic for this patient?
(A) Epinephrine
(B) Erythromycin
(C) Nifedipine
(D) Rifampin
(E) Verapamil
Answer is (A) Epinephrine
A 29-year-old man presents to his primary care physi-
cian complaining of dysuria, urgency, and painful
ejaculation. The patient has a past medical history of
allergic rhinitis. Physical examination reveals a tender
prostate. The patient is given a prescription of sulfa-
methoxazole to be taken daily (q 12 h) for 30 days.
The half-life is 12 h. How long will it take for the
medication to reach 90% of its final steady state level?
(A) 10 h
(B) 20 h
(C) 30 h
(D) 40 h
(E) 50 h
Answer is (D) 40
A hospitalized patient with systemic candidiasis is
receiving intravenous antifungal medications. He also
has hepatic and renal insufficiency. Which of the fol-
lowing drug administration schemes would allow for
the most steady state amount of drug in the body over
a 2-week hospitalization period where medication
administration will be necessary?
(A) Continuous IV infusion
(B) Once weekly IV injection
(C) Single daily IV injection
(D) Twice daily IV injection
(E) Twice weekly IV injection
Answer is (A) IVI
Pharmacokinetics is:
a) The study of biological and therapeutic effects of drugs
b) The study of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs
c) The study of mechanisms of drug action
d) The study of methods of new drug development
Answer is (B)
Pharmacokinetics is:
a) The study of biological and therapeutic effects of drugs
b) The study of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs
c) The study of mechanisms of drug action
d) The study of methods of new drug development
Answer is (B)
What does “pharmacokinetics” include?
a) Complications of drug therapy
b) Drug biotransformation in the organism
c) Influence of drugs on metabolism processes
d) Influence of drugs on genes
Answer is (b)
What does “pharmacokinetics” include?
a) Pharmacological effects of drugs
b) Unwanted effects of drugs
c) Chemical structure of a medicinal agent
d) Distribution of drugs in the organism
Answer is (D)
The main mechanism of most drugs absorption in GI tract is:
a) Active transport (carrier-mediated diffusion)
b) Filtration (aqueous diffusion)
c) Endocytosis and exocytosis
d) Passive diffusion (lipid diffusion)
Answer is (d)
What kind of substances can’t permeate membranes by passive diffusion?
a) Lipid-soluble
b) Non-ionized substances
c) Hydrophobic substances
d) Hydrophilic substances
Answer is (d)
A hydrophilic medicinal agent has the following property:
a) Low ability to penetrate through the cell membrane lipids
b) Penetrate through membranes by means of endocytosis
c) Easy permeation through the blood-brain barrier
d) High reabsorption in renal tubules
Answer is (A)
What is implied by «active transport»?
a) Transport of drugs trough a membrane by means of diffusion
b) Transport without energy consumption
c) Engulf of drug by a cell membrane with a new vesicle formation
d) Transport against concentration gradient
Answer is (d)
