Pharmacology Comprehensive Reviewer

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards covering introductory pharmacology concepts, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, nursing management, anti-infective drugs, and antineoplastic agents.

Pharmacology

The scientific study of drugs, their origins, chemical properties, effects on the body, and therapeutic uses.

Pharmakon

The Greek root word meaning 'drug or remedy,' from which pharmacology is derived.

Logos

The Greek root word meaning 'study,' from which pharmacology is derived.

Drug

Medications or other substances that produce a physiological effect when introduced into the body.

Chemical Name

The precise scientific name describing the exact molecular structure of a drug; used primarily by chemists and rarely in clinical practice.

Generic Name

The official, standard, and universal name used by healthcare professionals worldwide that represents the active ingredient.

Trade Name

The trademarked brand name given to a drug by the manufacturing pharmaceutical company for marketing purposes.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of what the body does to the drug, encompassing absorption, metabolism (biotransformation), and excretion.

Absorption

The pharmacokinetic process by which a drug enters the bloodstream.

Metabolism (Biotransformation)

The enzymatic conversion of a drug into simpler compounds, occurring primarily in the liver.

Excretion

The removal of a drug from the body, primarily occurring via the kidneys and liver, with secondary routes including respiration (lungs), sweating, and breast milk.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what the drug does to the body, including receptor binding, dose-response relationships, and therapeutic effects.

Agonists

Substances that bind to and activate a receptor to trigger a physiological response.

Antagonists

Substances that bind to a receptor to block it and prevent activation.

Dose-Response Relationship

The correlation between the dosage of a drug and the intensity of its clinical effects and risks of adverse events.

Therapeutic Effects

The desired, beneficial clinical outcomes of a drug.

Adverse Effects

Harmful or unwanted effects produced by a drug that occur at therapeutic doses.

Drug Allergy

An immune system hypersensitivity response that mistakenly attacks a drug.

Drug-Induced Organ Damage

Structural or functional tissue harm caused by large doses or long-term use of a medication.

Sensory Effects

A form of drug toxicity resulting in damage to special senses, such as the eyes and ears.

Tolerance

A reduced therapeutic response to a drug requiring increased dosages to achieve the same effect.

Nursing Process (ADPIE)

A systematic framework for delivering safe, patient-centered care consisting of Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Intervention, and Evaluation.

Chemotherapeutic Agents

Chemical compounds engineered to selectively destroy or inhibit pathogens or abnormal cells with minimal damage to host tissue, including anti-infectives and antineoplastics.

Bactericidal Antibiotics

Antibiotics that directly kill bacteria; examples include Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Vancomycin, and Ciprofloxacin.

Bacteriostatic Antibiotics

Antibiotics that inhibit the growth and replication of bacteria; examples include Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, and Clindamycin.

Antibiotic Resistance

A phenomenon driven by misuse, overuse, incomplete courses, and self-medication where bacteria adapt to survive antimicrobial treatment.

Antiviral Agents

Medications that target viruses by typically blocking specific life cycle steps (such as viral DNA polymerase) rather than destroying the virus directly.

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)

An antiviral medication whose primary indication is the treatment of Influenza.

Zidovudine

An antiviral agent primarily indicated for the treatment of HIV.

Remdesivir

An antiviral drug indicated for the treatment of COVID-19.

Antifungal Agents

Drugs that target the fungal cell membrane by disrupting ergosterol to induce cellular leakage and cell death.

Clotrimazole

An antifungal medication indicated for the treatment of athlete's foot.

Nystatin

An antifungal agent primarily used for the treatment of oral thrush.

Fluconazole

An antifungal drug indicated for yeast infections that works by preventing ergosterol production.

Amphotericin B

An antifungal agent used for severe fungal infections that binds directly to ergosterol, creating pores.

Antiprotozoal Agents

Medications targeting unicellular parasites responsible for infections like malaria, amebiasis, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis.

Antihelminthic Agents

Medications designed to target and treat infestations of parasitic worms, including nematodes, cestodes, and tissue worms.

Nematodes (Roundworms)

A class of worms including Pinworm, Ascaris, Whipworm, Hookworm, and Threadworm; treated with Mebendazole or Ivermectin.

Cestodes (Tapeworms)

A class of parasitic flatworms including Taenia saginata and Taenia solium; typically treated with Albendazole.

Tissue Worms

Parasitic worms causing conditions such as Filariasis, River Blindness, and Schistosomiasis; treated with Praziquantel or Ivermectin.

Antineoplastic Agents

Chemotherapeutic medications engineered to slow or halt the growth of malignant cancer cells by disrupting cellular division.

Cisplatin

An antineoplastic agent indicated for testicular, ovarian, lung, and bladder malignancies.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)

An antineoplastic agent indicated for colorectal, breast, and stomach cancers.

Cyclophosphamide

An antineoplastic agent indicated for lymphomas and hematologic malignancies.

Myelosuppression

A common side effect of antineoplastic agents characterized by low blood counts resulting in increased infection risks.