Chapter 17: Immunologic System Medications

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the immune response, types of immunity, and major immunologic medications from Chapter 17 of Pharmacology Clear & Simple.

Antigen

A substance that the immune system recognizes and may respond to, such as surface markers on a virus or bacteria that trigger an immune response.

Inflammation

The body's protective response to injury, infection, or irritation that helps fight harmful substances and begins the healing process.

Five Signs of Inflammation

Redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function.

Antibodies

Proteins produced by B lymphocytes (specifically plasma cells) that recognize and attach to specific antigens to help the immune system fight infections.

Autoimmune Condition

A condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy cells, tissues, or organs (such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, or lupus).

Memory Cells

Immune cells that remember a previously encountered germ, allowing the body to respond faster if the same germ returns.

Allergies

An overresponse of the body's defense to allergens (such as pollen, animal dander, mold, mildew, dust, or cigarette smoke) that may not be actual threats to the body.

Antihistamines

Medications that block the histamine response and relax respiratory, vascular, and GI smooth muscle, acting as H1 receptor agonists (e.g., diphenhydramine/Benadryl).

Glucocorticoids

Steroid-like compounds that suppress the body's inflammatory response and carry risks of serious side effects and immune system suppression (e.g., fluticasone/Flovent, hydrocortisone/Cortef).

Nasal Decongestants

Medications that dry secretions to alleviate nasal congestion by causing vasoconstriction in the nose (e.g., pseudoephedrine/Sudafed, oxymetazoline/Afrin, phenylephrine/Neo-Synephrine).

Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

The most common non-steroidal treatments for inflammation that possess antipyretic and analgesic properties by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis (e.g., ibuprofen/Advil, naproxen/Aleve).

Superinfection

A secondary infection (such as a yeast infection) that occurs when antibiotic therapy kills normal, healthy flora.

Culture and Sensitivity Test (C&S)

A diagnostic test performed to identify infecting bacteria and determine the most effective antibiotic against them.

Penicillins

One of the oldest and least expensive antibiotic classes that kill gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria by destroying cell walls (e.g., ampicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin/Pen VK).

Cephalosporins

Antibiotic medications that are structurally and functionally similar to penicillins but more expensive (e.g., cefazolin/Ancef, cefepime/Maxipime).

Tetracyclines

Antibiotics that cause permanent staining in the teeth of a child or fetus, making them contraindicated in children and pregnant women (e.g., doxycycline/Vibramycin).

Quinolones

Bacteriostatic antibiotics that prevent bacteria from growing; reserved for antibiotic-resistant strains due to rare, severe side effects and useful for chronic urinary tract infections (e.g., ciprofloxacin/Cipro).

Antitoxins

Antibodies created to counteract a specific toxin in a person at high risk for a condition, providing immediate neutralization (e.g., tetanus immune globulin/BayTet).

Antifungals

Medications used to treat fungal conditions like tinea pedis (athlete's foot) and candidiasis (yeast infection), available in topical forms (miconazole/Desenex) and systemic forms (fluconazole/Diflucan).

Antivirals

Therapies that inhibit the reproduction of viruses (e.g., acyclovir/Zovirax for herpes, chickenpox, and shingles; oseltamivir/Tamiflu for influenza types A and B).

Antiretrovirals (ARVs)

Medications that treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) by preventing the virus from replicating, thereby preserving immune function without curing the infection.

Anthelmintics

Antiparasitic medications that treat worms and flukes by paralyzing their nervous system or preventing glucose absorption.

Pediculicides

Antiparasitic medications used to treat lice, which feed on blood found on the body, scalp, and pubic areas.

Scabicides

Antiparasitic medications used to treat scabies (itch mites).

Active Natural Immunity

Acquired immunity that occurs when microbes invade the body and the immune system naturally learns to fight the pathogen.

Passive Natural Immunity

Acquired immunity passed from a mother to her fetus, providing temporary protection lasting $3$ to $6\text{ months}$.

Active Artificial Immunity

Acquired immunity stimulated by administering a vaccine to simulate microbial invasion, prompting the body to form its own antibodies.

Passive Artificial Immunity

Temporary acquired immunity conferred by administering donor antibodies directly to an at-risk patient.

Metastasis

The spread of cancerous cells from the primary site to surrounding or distant body parts.

Antineoplastic Medications

Chemotherapy agents consisting of combinations of antineoplastic and cytotoxic drugs that are caustic to tissue and administered IM, IV, SC, intrathecally, or topically.