Medications Flashcards
Salicylates
Most commonly used pain medications. They are used to control pain and reduce fever and inflammation.
Aspirin is the most commonly used salicylate.
Taken orally, salicylates are absorbed partly in the stomach but primarily in the upper part of the small intestine.
They relieve pain primarily by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandin. In addition they may also reduce inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and release that occurs during inflammation.
Salicylates reduce fever by stimulating hypothalamus, producing dilation of the peripheral blood vessels and increasing sweating. This promotes heat loss through the skin and cooling by evaporation.
One salicylate, aspirin, permanently inhibits platelet aggregation by interfering with the production of a substance called thromboxane A2, necessary for platelet aggregation. Not all salicylates have this effect.
The most common adverse reactions to salicylates include gastric distress, nausea, vomiting and bleeding tendencies.
Acetaminophen (paracetamol/panadol)
Paracetamol is an OTC drug that produces analgesic and antipyretic effects.
Paracetamol is absorbed rapidly and completely from the GI tract. It’s also absorbed well from the mucous membranes of the rectum.
Acetaminophen reduces pain and fever but unlike salicylate it doesnt affect inflammation or platelet function. It can cause anticoagulation in the patient taking warfarin.
the pain-control effects of acetaminophen arent well understood and it reduces fever by acting directly on the heat-regulating centre in the hypothalamus.
