Video Notes: Medication and Lab Concepts Review

A set of 100 vocabulary-style flashcards drawn from the video lecture notes for quick review.

WBC

White blood cell; immune cells that fight infection; normal range roughly 5,000–10,000 per microliter.

Normal WBC range

Approximately 5,000–10,000 cells per microliter.

Leukocytosis

Elevated white blood cell count; example in notes 11,000 indicating infection or inflammation.

AST

Aspartate aminotransferase; a liver enzyme measured in liver function tests.

ALT

Alanine aminotransferase; another liver enzyme measured in liver function tests.

Liver enzyme monitoring

Regular measurement of AST/ALT to assess hepatotoxicity risk from medications (e.g., rifampin).

Rifampin

Antibiotic; known to cause hepatotoxicity and can color body fluids orange.

Rifampin hepatotoxicity

Risk of liver injury from rifampin; requires liver enzyme monitoring.

Hepatotoxicity

Liver damage caused by drugs or disease.

Orange body fluids

Rifampin can turn tears, urine, and sweat orange-red.

Pulmonary infiltrate

Lung opacity on imaging indicating infection or inflammation.

Adverse effects

Harmful or unintended effects of a drug.

Side effects

Secondary drug effects; can be adverse or benign.

Fluoroquinolone

Antibiotic class including ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin; associated with tendon injury.

Levofloxacin (Levaquin)

A fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

Achilles tendon rupture risk

Serious tendon injury linked to fluoroquinolones.

Tendon rupture

Rupture of a tendon; can occur with fluoroquinolones.

Achilles tendon pain

Pain in the Achilles tendon; potential early warning sign.

Cross-reactivity fluoroquinolones

Allergy to one fluoroquinolone increases risk with others.

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)

A fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

Levaquin allergy cross-reactivity with Cipro

Allergic reaction to Levaquin suggests possible cross-reactivity to Cipro.

Bactrim (TMP-SMX)

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole; broad-spectrum antibiotic with potential contraindications.

Hyperkalemia contraindication with Bactrim

High potassium levels can be worsened by Bactrim; caution.

Telavancin

IV antibiotic active against MRSA; can prolong QT interval.

QT prolongation

Prolonged QT interval on ECG; risk of dangerous arrhythmias.

Telavancin contraindicated with prolonged QT

Avoid use in patients with already prolonged QT.

Linezolid

Oxazolidinone antibiotic with MAOI properties.

Linezolid MAOI property

Inhibits monoamine oxidase; can interact with other drugs.

Linezolid SSRI interactions

Can interact with SSRIs; risk of serotonin syndrome.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Gentamicin

Aminoglycoside antibiotic with ototoxicity risk.

Ototoxicity

Drug-induced damage to the inner ear causing hearing loss or balance issues.

Vertigo

Dizziness or spinning sensation; can indicate ototoxicity.

Tinnitus

Ringing in the ears; symptom of ototoxicity.

Headache

Head pain; common drug-related adverse effect.

Photophobia

Light sensitivity; can be a sign of ocular adverse effects.

Photosensitivity

Increased sensitivity to sunlight as a drug side effect.

Gentamicin IV q8h

Dosing schedule: intravenous administration every 8 hours.

Metformin

Oral diabetes medication (biguanide).

Metformin 500 mg PO bid

Common dose: 500 mg by mouth twice daily.

Diabetes mellitus

Chronic condition characterized by high blood glucose.

Pneumonia

Lung infection; may present with cough, fever, and infiltrates.

Crackles

Wet lung sounds heard on auscultation indicating fluid in the lungs.

Chest X-ray lower lobes pneumonia

Imaging showing pneumonia in the lower lobes.

Heparin

Anticoagulant used to prevent or treat clots.

Heparin IV

Heparin given intravenously.

Anticoagulant

Drug that prevents blood clotting.

APTT

Activated partial thromboplastin time; used to monitor heparin therapy.

DVT

Deep vein thrombosis; clot in a deep leg vein.

Calf pain

Pain in the calf; common DVT symptom.

Edema

Swelling; can indicate venous issues or inflammation.

VTE

Venous thromboembolism; includes DVT and PE.

Sinus tachycardia

Fast heart rhythm originating from the sinus node.

SVT

Supraventricular tachycardia; heart rate often >150.

Atrial fibrillation

Irregular, often rapid heart rhythm requiring management.

Prolonged QT

QT interval longer than normal; risk of torsades de pointes.

QT interval

Time from start of Q wave to end of T wave on ECG.

Genta dosing schedule

Gentamicin dosing varies; often q8h as prescribed.

IV antibiotic therapy

Antibiotics administered intravenously.

Oral antibiotic therapy

Antibiotics taken by mouth.

MRSA coverage drugs

Drugs effective against MRSA (e.g., linezolid, telavancin, vancomycin).

Pleuritic chest pain

Chest pain worsened by deep breathing or coughing.

Chest pain with coughing

Pain associated with coughing; can occur with pneumonia.Only

MRI for tendon rupture

Magnetic resonance imaging used to diagnose tendon rupture.

CT scan for tendon rupture

Computed tomography may be used to evaluate tendon injury.

TXA tranexamic acid

Antifibrinolytic; reduces bleeding by inhibiting clot breakdown.

Tranexamic acid mechanism

Inhibits plasminogen activation to plasmin, reducing fibrinolysis.

TXA in trauma

Used to reduce bleeding and improve survival in trauma cases.

TXA IV administration

TXA is typically given intravenously.

FAST exam

Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma; bedside ultrasound.

Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma

Imaging to detect internal bleeding in trauma patients.

Gunshot wound

Traumatic injury enabling trauma management and TXA use.

ED turnover

High rate of patient flow and rapid admissions/discharges in the ED.

Medication safety

Practice of double-checking meds to prevent harm.

Pocket drug reference

Small drug guide nurses carry for quick dosing/indication checks.

Dosage calculations practice

Pretest to assess and improve mathematical med-dosing skills.

Exam weights: 16%

Exams 1–3 collectively contribute 16% each to the grade.

Homework weight

Homework contributes 7% to the overall grade.

Dosage test weight

Dosage calculation test accounts for 5% of the grade.

Proctored final weight

Final proctored exam accounts for 25% of the grade.

Attendance importance

Punctuality and presence in class are emphasized.

Adverse effects education

Nurses educate patients on potential adverse effects of meds.

WBC trends in infection

WBC counts may rise or fall with infection; leukocytosis is common.

Quinolone tendon warning

Watch for tendon pain/swelling; risk of rupture with fluoroquinolones.

Photophobia in exam context

Light sensitivity noted in patient reports or imaging contexts.

Sputum production in pneumonia

Cough with sputum often present in bacterial pneumonia.

Lower lobes pneumonia imaging

Pneumonia often visualized in the lower lobes on imaging.

Diabetes and infection risk

Diabetes increases susceptibility to infections and complicates management.

Ototoxicity signs: tinnitus, vertigo

Ear-related symptoms (ringing, dizziness) indicating ototoxicity.

Photosensitivity vs photophobia distinction

Photosensitivity is sun sensitivity; photophobia is light sensitivity.

Orange fluids from rifampin

Rifampin can cause orange-colored tears/urine/sweat.

13,000 WBC note

Leukocytosis indicating infection or inflammation.

11,000 WBC note

Mild leukocytosis; higher than normal but not extreme.

Cross-reactivity among fluoroquinolones (restate)

Allergy to one fluoroquinolone may predict allergy to others.

Pneumonia crackles sign

Crackles on auscultation suggest alveolar fluid from pneumonia.

DVT signs: calf pain and edema

Calf pain with unilateral swelling suggests DVT.

Clinical imaging: lower lobes pneumonia

Imaging findings identifying pneumonia in the lower lobes.

MRSA coverage drugs (restate)

Drugs effective against MRSA include linezolid and telavancin.

Achilles tendon pain warning (restate)

Pain in the Achilles tendon may precede rupture with fluoroquinolones.

MRI as gold standard for tendon rupture

MRI commonly confirms tendon rupture when suspected.