L2 - Drugs And Clinical Effect

Question 1

What are the four components of pharmacokinetics?

Answer 1

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Elimination (ADME).

Question 2

What factors affect drug absorption?

Answer 2

• Drug characteristics: molecular weight, ionisation, solubility, and formulation
• Patient factors: route of administration, gastric pH, and GI tract contents

Question 3

What factors influence drug distribution in the body?

Answer 3

• Membrane permeability
• Plasma protein binding
• Lipophilicity of the drug
• Volume of distribution (e.g., digoxin is extensively distributed in tissues)

Question 4

Where does drug metabolism primarily occur, and what are the phases?

Answer 4

• Primary site: Liver
• Phases: Phase I (Cytochrome P450 system) and Phase II (conjugation)

Question 5

What are the primary elimination pathways for drugs?

Answer 5

• Pulmonary (exhaled air)
• Bile (faeces, enterohepatic circulation)
• Renal (glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption/secretion)

Question 6

What are efficacy and potency in pharmacodynamics?

Answer 6

• Efficacy: Ability to produce the desired response
• Potency: Amount of drug needed for 50% of the maximal response (ED50)

Question 7

How is the therapeutic index calculated, and what does it measure?

Answer 7

• Calculation: LD50 / ED50
• Measure: Safety margin of a drug

Question 8

What happens when a drug binds to a receptor?

Answer 8

• Action may involve opening/closing ion channels or activating second messengers (e.g., cAMP, cGMP)
• Cellular function can be “turned on” or “off”

Question 9

What are the main therapeutic strategies for managing cardiovascular disease?

Answer 9

• Homeostatic control of blood pressure
• Manipulating cardiac output, vascular resistance, and blood volume
• Reducing platelet adhesion and cholesterol

Question 10

What are the primary approaches for treating heart failure?

Answer 10

• Increase cardiac efficiency
• Reduce oxygen demand
• Use diuretics, vasodilators, and inotropic drugs

Question 11

What are the pharmacological methods to reduce atherogenesis?

Answer 11

• Platelet adhesion reduction: Aspirin, clopidogrel
• Cholesterol reduction: Statins, fibrates, bile acid sequestrants

Question 12

List five important pharmacology terms to remember.

Answer 12

• Homeostasis
• Solubility
• Clearance
• Loading dose
• Therapeutic range