Principles of Pharmacology

Question 1

Pharmacotherapy

Answer 1

Study of drugs defined as treating or preventing disease and the alleviation of pain and suffering

Question 2

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 2

What the drug does to the body at a molecular level

Question 3

Pharmacokinetics

Answer 3

Movement of the drug into, through and put of the body. Absorption, bioavailability, distribution, metabolism and excretion. What the body does to the drug

Question 4

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 4

Control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, respiratory function, pupillary response, urination and sexual arousal. Also controls fight or flight response

Question 5

What 3 types of drug names are there?

Answer 5

Chemical, Generic. Trade name

Question 6

Bioavailability

Answer 6

Proportion of the administered dose that reaches the system circulation intact and ready for action

Question 7

Clearance

Answer 7

The volume of blood cleared irreversibly of drug over time. How quickly the drug can be eliminated by the body

Question 8

Volume of distribution

Answer 8

The volume in which the amount of the drug in the body would need to be uniformly distributed to produce the desired concentration in the blood

Question 9

Half-life

Answer 9

How long it takes for the blood or plasma concentration of the drug to fall below 50 percent

Question 10

What are the four components of Pharmacokinetics?

Answer 10

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion

Question 11

What factors affect Absorption?

Answer 11

Rate of dissolution, surface area, blood flow, lipid solubility, hepatic-first pass effect (liver filtration)

Question 12

What are the factors affecting Distribution?

Answer 12

Blood flow to tissues, drug’s ability to exit the vascular system, drug’s ability to enter the cells, protein binding, blood brain barrier

Question 13

What are the factors affecting Metabolism?

Answer 13

Age, nutritional status, competition between drugs. first pass effects

Question 14

What are the therapeutic consequences of drug metabolism?

Answer 14

Accelerated renal drug excretion, increased therapeutic action, drug inactivation, increased or decreased toxicity

Question 15

Where in the body can drugs be eliminated?

Answer 15

Liver, kidneys.

By urine, bile, sweat, saliva, tears, milk and stool

Question 16

What are the 3 main ways drugs can cross cell membranes?

Answer 16

Through channels and pores, with aid of transport system, direct penetration of the membrane itself

Question 17

What are transporters?

Answer 17

Carriers that move ions or small molecules from one side of the cell membrane to the other

Question 18

What are enzymes?

Answer 18

Substances that speed up chemical reactions by lowering a reaction’s activation energy.

Question 19

What are ion channels?

Answer 19

Pores that open or close to control the movement of ions in and out of cells

Question 20

What are receptors?

Answer 20

A large group of proteins that are targets for drugs. The combination creates a drug-receptor complex which creates the desired response

Question 21

What are adrenoceptors?

Answer 21

A class of receptor that is stimulated by the transmitter noradrenaline that is linked to the ANS

Question 22

What’s an agonist?

Answer 22

A drug that binds to a receptor to produce an effect

Question 23

What’s an antagonist?

Answer 23

Drugs or chemicals that bind to receptors but do not activate them. This produces no biological effect and can block or reverse the effects of agonists

Question 24

What are the two division of the ANS?

Answer 24

Sympathetic: Fight or flight, mobilises body systems
Parasympathetic: Rest and digest, conserves energy

Question 25

What are the 4 kinds of adrenergic receptors?

Answer 25

Alpha 1 and 2

Beta 1 and 2

Question 26

Alpha 1 effects

Answer 26

Vasoconstriction (increased BP), pupil dilation, decreased GIT activity, glycogen breakdown (BGL increase), urinary retention, smooth muscle contraction, sweating

Question 27

Alpha 2 effects

Answer 27

Inhibits further release of the transmitter hence inhibiting sympathetic activity

Question 28

Beta 1 reaction

Answer 28

Increase heart rate, lipolysis or breakdown of fat, decrease GI motility, triggers the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

Question 29

Beta 2 reaction

Answer 29

Bronchodilation, vasodilation, glycogen breakdown, relaxation of pregnant uterus

Question 30

What happens when a cholinergic nerve is stimulated?

Answer 30

Acetylcholine is released which activates muscarinic receptors to trigger an effector response. It causes increased gastric acid secretion, increased GI motility, pupillary constriction, decreased heart rate, bronchoconstriction, decreased heart rate, promotion of urination and defecation AKA rest and digest

Question 31

What steps are involved in checking it’s safe to administer via IV?

Answer 31

Check for systemic complications such as too much or too little fluid volume caused by unbalanced flow rate. Check for air embolism caused by air in the line, Monitor for infection or clotting at the injection site. Undertake documentation and medicine checking. Ensure line is flushed before and after medicine to ensure patency

Question 32

What’s a PICC?

Answer 32

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter

Question 33

What’s a CVC?

Answer 33

Central Venous Catheter

Question 34

What are the indications for PICC or CVC?

Answer 34

Long term IV antibiotic use, TPN administration, poor peripheral access, inotrope administration, situations where large volumes of fluid need to be administered, drugs which cause phlebitis when administered peripherally

Question 35

PICC use duration

Answer 35

3-6 months

Question 36

CVC use duration

Answer 36

7-14 days