Pharmacology

Question 1

Drug

Answer 1

any substance given with intention of altering the chemical and biological processes occuring in the body

Question 2

INdication

Answer 2

condition or illness for which drug is prescribed

Question 3

Contraindication

Answer 3

when a drug is not recommended for use in a particular condition as will affect them in another way e.g. children shouldn’t take aspirin as may get Reye’s syndrome

Question 4

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 4

physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action

Question 5

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 5

physiological processes that influence concentration of drug within body

Question 6

Caution

Answer 6

when a drug is not recommended for use in a particular condition e.g. pregnancy, kidney or liver disease

Question 7

Biological enzymes

Answer 7

for drug to be therapeutically useful, must act selectively on particular cells and tissues. Must show a high degree of binding site specificity

Question 8

Drug target antagonists

Answer 8

block action of biological pathway

Question 9

Drug target agonist

Answer 9

mimic actions of biological pathways

Question 10

Why do we get side effects from drugs?

Answer 10

when drugs act on non specific target sites, or when they cross react with other receptors

Question 11

What does charcoal do?

Answer 11

induces vomiting to prevent toxicity of drug

Question 12

Dose response curve

Answer 12

low dose - not much effect or response
As dose increases, so does response
Eventually a plateau is reached so no more response

Question 13

Analgesic

Answer 13

drug that relieves pain
non opiods or opioids
wears off over time

Question 14

Antihypertensive

Answer 14

drug used to reduce blood pressure
thiazide diuretics
ACE inhibitors
calcium agonists

Question 15

oedema

Answer 15

water retention

Question 16

Process of drug through body

Answer 16

1) Absorption - entry of drug into plasma
2) Distribution - drug goes to its site of action
3) Pharmacological effect - biological response in body
4) Metabolism - breakdown or modification of drug
5) Excretion - removal of drug from body

Question 17

What organ are most drugs broken down by?

Answer 17

Liver

Question 18

angina

Answer 18

chest pain

Question 19

What is given to help with angina?

Answer 19

GTN

Question 20

GTN

Answer 20

glycerol tri nitrate

Question 21

Glutathiones

Answer 21

liver enzymes

Question 22

Drug metabolism

Answer 22

process of modifying/altering chemical composition of drug

1. Drug goes to mouth, wet by salivary amylase
2. HCl turns it to powder in stomach
3. Blood vessels absorb drug in duodenum
4. Taken to rest of body
5. Enzymes in liver break it down

Question 23

What do cytochrome P450 enzymes do?

Answer 23

catalyse oxidation of many drugs

Question 24

Half life

Answer 24

time taken for concentration of drug to be reduced by half

Question 25

Drug excretion

Answer 25

drug must be water soluble

basic drugs excreted faster in acidic urine - vice versa for acidic drugs

Question 26

urine alkalisation

Answer 26

can be used to accelerate excretion of aspirin in some cases of overdose

Question 27

Factors that affect rate drug is excreted

Answer 27

kidney disease, age, altered renal blood flow, pH of urine, concentration of drug in plasma, molecular weight of drug

Question 28

Excretion through bile

Answer 28

activve secretory transport required as drugs transported across biliary epithelium
larger molecules more likely to be excreted in bile - leave body through faeces

Question 29

Enterohepatic cycle

Answer 29

drug secreted in bile is hydrolysed to form active drug in intestine and reabsorbed into circulation. Can provide a reservoir of recirculating drug