drugs

Pharmaceutics

The phase of pharmacology that examines how the body uses the drug form, primarily relating to oral drugs.

Disintegration

The process where solid medications break down into smaller particles.

Dissolution

The process where particles dissolve into liquid form for absorption.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of what the body does to a drug, encompassing absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Absorption

The stage where the drug enters body fluids through passive, active, or pinocytosis transport.

Hepatic first-pass effect

The phenomenon where some oral drugs are metabolized by the liver before entering circulation, reducing bioavailability.

Bioavailability

The proportion of a drug that enters the circulation and is able to have an active effect.

Distribution

The process by which drugs travel through the bloodstream and bind to proteins.

Free drug

The unbound form of a drug that is pharmacologically active in the body.

Metabolism

The biotransformation of drugs, mainly occurring in the liver.

Half-life

The time it takes for half of a drug to be eliminated from the body.

Excretion

The process of eliminating drugs from the body, primarily through the kidneys.

BUN

Blood urea nitrogen, a test used to assess kidney function.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what the drug does to the body in terms of therapeutic and adverse effects.

Primary effect

The intended or therapeutic effect of a drug.

Secondary effect

An effect that may be desirable or undesirable, such as drowsiness caused by Benadryl.

Onset

The time it takes for a drug to start working.

Peak

The time at which a drug has the maximum effect.

Duration

The length of time that the effects of a drug last.

Narrow therapeutic index

A small safety margin of a drug that indicates a higher risk of toxicity.

Peak level

The highest concentration of a drug in the bloodstream.

Trough level

The lowest concentration of a drug in the bloodstream.

Loading dose

An initial higher dose of a drug given to reach therapeutic levels quickly.

Side effect

A mild, undesired result of a medication.

Adverse effect

A severe and dangerous reaction to a medication that may require discontinuation.

Toxic effect

The harmful effects resulting from overdose or organ failure causing drug buildup.

Body Surface Area (BSA)

A measurement used to calculate drug doses, burns, and fluid needs.

BSA formula

BSA = √(height (cm) × weight (kg) / 3600)