respiratory system

Question 1

salbutamol

Answer 1

• drug class: b agonists
• common indications: asthma, SOMETIMES copd - not usually helpful
• mechanism of action: bind to b2 receptors in the lungs bronchi and cause brochorelaxation through an adenylyl cyclase cAMP mechanism
• common side effects: arrhythmias, headache, hypokalaemia
• uncommon side effects: hyperglycaemia
• drug-drug interactions: hypokalaemia with many, torsade de pointes with many
• contra-indications: in adults for cord compression, eclampsia etc

Question 2

fluticasone

Answer 2

• drug class: inhaled corticosteroid
• common indications: asthma
• mechanism of action: work intrinsically and either upregulate anti inflammatory pathway or down regulate inflammatory pathway
• common side effects: headaches, oral thrush, pneumonia (in copd patients)
• uncommon side effects: anxiety
• drug-drug interactions:
• contra-indications: after nasal surgery, in pulmonary TB