NUR 117 Pharmacology Study Guide Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Introduction to Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Inflammation, Pain, Fever, Anti-Infectives, Tuberculosis, Antivirals, Immunity, and Dosage Calculations.

Pharmacotherapy

The use of drugs to prevent, diagnose, or treat disease.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of how a drug works on the body (what the drug does to the body).

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how a drug moves through the body, comprising absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (A-D-M-E).

Pharmacotherapeutics

The study of how drugs are best used to treat a specific disease.

Toxicology

The study of poisons and the adverse or harmful effects of drugs.

Pharmacoeconomics

The study of the cost of drug therapy, focusing on achieving the maximum therapeutic benefit for the least amount of money.

Biotechnology

The process of manufacturing drugs in a laboratory using DNA/RNA cloning rather than natural sources.

Therapeutic Classification

A method of grouping drugs based on what clinical condition or disease they treat (e.g., antihypertensive).

Pharmacological Classification

A method of grouping drugs based on their specific mechanism of action in the body (e.g., calcium channel blocker).

Generic Name

The official chemical name of a drug, which is usually written in lowercase letters and is less expensive than brand names (e.g., ibuprofen).

Trade Name

The proprietary name assigned to a drug by the marketing company, which is capitalized and copyrighted (e.g., Advil).

Prototype Drug

The original, individual representative drug from a drug class to which all other medications in that family are compared.

Schedule I Controlled Substance

A classification for drugs with the highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use in the United States (e.g., heroin, LSD).

Schedule II Controlled Substance

A classification for drugs with high abuse potential that have accepted medical uses but require a non-refillable written prescription (e.g., morphine, oxycodone).

Schedule V Controlled Substance

A classification for drugs with the lowest abuse potential among controlled substances, such as cough preparations containing limited codeine.

Pregnancy Category X

A drug classification indicating proven risk of causing fetal abnormalities in pregnant women, where the risks always outweigh any potential benefit.

Absorption

The pharmacokinetic movement of a drug from its site of administration into the bloodstream, occurring primarily in the small intestine for oral drugs.

Metabolism (Biotransformation)

The enzymatic breakdown of a drug into an inactive form by the body, occurring primarily in the liver.

Excretion

The elimination of a drug from the body, carried out mainly by the kidneys through urine.

Half-life

The time required for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by $50\%$.

Peak Level

The highest concentration of a drug in the patient's bloodstream, typically drawn $30\text{ minutes}$ after an IV infusion completes.

Trough Level

The lowest concentration of a drug in the patient's bloodstream, measured $30\text{ minutes}$ prior to administering the next dose.

Agonist

A drug that binds to a cell receptor and activates it to trigger a biological response.

Antagonist

A drug that binds to a cell receptor and blocks it, preventing other substances or drugs from producing an effect.

Synergistic Effect

A combined effect produced by two different drugs that is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Additive Effect

A combined effect produced by two similar drugs that equals the simple sum of their individual effects.

Anaphylaxis

A life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction causing airway constriction, facial swelling, and rapid drop in blood pressure, requiring immediate treatment with epinephrine.

Tolerance

A physiological decrease in response to a drug over time, requiring elevated dosages to achieve the initial therapeutic effect.

Cellular Integrity

The functional maintenance of the cell membrane, which selectively regulates the entry and exit of molecules to protect internal cellular components.

Chemotaxis

The movement of white blood cells (leukocytes) toward the site of tissue injury in response to chemical signals during acute inflammation.

Erythema

Redness of the skin produced by congestion of capillaries during local inflammation.

Edema

Local swelling caused by the accumulation of fluid moving out of permeable capillaries into tissue spaces.

Nociceptors

Specialized sensory receptors that detect tissue damage and transmit pain signals to the brain.

Antipyretic

A drug or substance that reduces elevated body temperature (fever).

Analgesic

A drug or agent used specifically to relieve pain.

Ketorolac (Toradol)

An injectable NSAID indicated for moderate-to-severe pain that must not be administered for more than $5\text{ doses}$ due to high risk of severe GI ulceration and bleeding.

Salicylism

A sign of aspirin toxicity occurring at serum levels above $300\,\text{mcg/mL}$, characterized by tinnitus, dizziness, impaired hearing, and confusion.

Reye Syndrome

A rare, potentially severe and fatal condition triggered when aspirin is administered to children or teenagers recovering from viral infections.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

A non-narcotic analgesic and antipyretic that acts on the hypothalamus to reduce fever and mild pain, but completely lacks anti-inflammatory properties.

Acetylcysteine

The specific antidote administered to treat acute acetaminophen toxicity and prevent severe hepatotoxicity.

Bacteriostatic

An antimicrobial drug mechanism that inhibits the growth and multiplication of bacteria without directly killing them, allowing the host immune system to clear the infection.

Bactericidal

An antimicrobial drug mechanism that directly kills bacterial organisms.

Empiric Therapy

The administration of an antimicrobial medication prior to receiving definitive laboratory diagnostic identification of the causative organism.

Culture and Sensitivity Testing

A two-step laboratory process where pathogens are cultured from specimen samples and tested against antibiotic discs to identify effective antimicrobial agents.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

A rare, severe, and potentially lethal skin and mucous membrane hypersensitivity reaction characterized by painful rashes, blistering, and skin peeling.

Disulfiram-like Reaction

An adverse reaction occurring when alcohol is consumed alongside drugs like metronidazole or cephalosporins, causing flushing, severe headache, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and hypotension.

Ototoxicity

Damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve caused by toxic drug exposure, manifesting as tinnitus, dizziness, loss of balance, or hearing impairment.

Fluoroquinolones

A class of bactericidal antibiotics (including ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin) carrying a black box warning for tendinitis and tendon rupture, particularly in patients over $60\text{ years}$ of age or taking corticosteroids.

Red Man Syndrome

An adverse reaction caused by rapid IV administration of vancomycin, leading to flushing, erythema, and hypotension; prevented by infusing over $1\text{ to }2\text{ hours}$.

Acyclovir (Zovirax)

An antiviral medication used to treat Herpes simplex virus infections by inhibiting viral DNA replication.

Retrovirus

A class of RNA viruses, such as HIV, that utilize reverse transcriptase enzymes to insert viral DNA directly into host cells for replication.

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)

An aggressive treatment regimen combining multiple antiretroviral drugs to suppress HIV replication at different stages of its life cycle and prevent drug resistance.

BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)

A kidney function laboratory value with a normal reference range of $7\text{--}20\,\text{mg/dL}$.

Creatinine

A specific renal function laboratory test with a normal range of $0.6\text{--}1.2\,\text{mg/dL}$, where values exceeding $1.3\,\text{mg/dL}$ indicate renal impairment.

Serum Potassium (K+)

An essential electrolyte with a normal biological serum range of $3.5\text{--}5.0\,\text{mEq/L}$.

Serum Sodium (Na+)

The primary extracellular cation measured in routine blood chemistry, possessing a normal reference range of $135\text{--}145\,\text{mEq/L}$.

Platelets

Blood cells necessary for clotting, with a normal physiological concentration range of $150{,}000\text{--}450{,}000\,\text{cells/mcL}$.

Metric System Prefix Order

The ordered sequence of metric prefixes from largest to smallest: Kilo- ($1000$), Hecto- ($100$), Deca- ($10$), Basic Unit ($1$), Deci- ($0.1$), Centi- ($0.01$), Milli- ($0.001$).

Household Equivalent of 1 Ounce

A fluid measurement equivalent equal to $2\,\text{Tbsp}$, $6\,\text{tsp}$, or $30\,\text{mL}$.

Leading Zero Rule

A mandatory dosage calculation formatting rule requiring a zero before a decimal point for values less than 1 (e.g., $0.9\,\text{mg}$, never $.9\,\text{mg}$).

Trailing Zero Rule

A mandatory safety rule in dosage calculations prohibiting trailing zeros after a decimal point (e.g., write $8\,\text{mg}$, never $8.0\,\text{mg}$).

Drug Vehicle

The specific physical form or carrier in which a therapeutic drug is delivered (e.g., capsule, tablet, ointment, solution).