Principles of Pharmacology and Medication Administration

Vocabulary-based flashcards covering pharmacology principles, pharmacokinetic processes, routes of administration, medication forms, and the rights of administration for EMS clinicians.

Pharmacology

The science of drugs, including their ingredients, preparation, uses, and actions on the body.

Medication

A substance that is used to treat or prevent disease or relieve pain.

Pharmacodynamics

The process by which a medication works on the body.

Receptors

Sites on cells where medications or chemicals produced in the body can bind and produce an effect.

Agonist

A medication that causes stimulation of receptors.

Antagonist

A medication that binds to a receptor and blocks other medications or chemicals from attaching; also referred to as a blocker.

Dose

The amount of medication given, often depending on the patient's weight or age.

Action

The intended therapeutic effect that a medication is expected to have on the body.

Pharmacokinetics

The actions of the body on a medication, including how it is absorbed, distributed, changed, or eliminated.

Onset of Action

The time from medication administration until clinical effects occur.

Peak

The point or period when the maximum clinical effect of a medication is achieved.

Duration

The length of time that the clinical effects of a medication persist.

Elimination

The process by which medications or chemicals are removed from the body, often involving the liver and kidneys.

Indications

The reasons or conditions for which a particular medication is given.

Contraindications

Situations in which a medication should not be given because it would harm the patient or have no positive effect.

Absolute Contraindication

A situation where a medication should never be given, such as severe hypotension for nitroglycerin.

Relative Contraindication

A situation where the benefits of administering a drug may outweigh the risks, such as using epinephrine for anaphylaxis in a patient with glaucoma.

Adverse Effects

Any actions of a medication other than the desired ones.

Unintended Effects

Adverse effects that are undesirable but pose little risk to the patient.

Untoward Effects

Adverse effects that can be harmful to the patient.

Generic Name

A simple, clear, nonproprietary name for a medication (e.g., ibuprofen) that is not capitalized.

Trade Name

The brand name that a manufacturer gives to a medication (e.g., Tylenol), which begins with a capital letter.

Tall Man Lettering

The use of capitalized letters in medication labels to highlight the portion of a name that distinguishes it from a similarly spelled medication (e.g., DOBUTamine vs. DOPamine).

Enteral Medications

Medications that enter the body through the digestive system; they tend to absorb slowly.

Parenteral Medications

Medications that enter the body by a route other than the digestive tract, skin, or mucous membranes; these often enter directly into the bloodstream and absorb quickly.

Absorption

The process by which medications travel through body tissues until they reach the bloodstream.

Intraosseous (IO) Injection

A route of administration into the bone marrow; it has an immediate rate of absorption.

Subcutaneous (SC) Injection

An injection given into the fatty tissue between the skin and the muscle; it is absorbed slowly.

Intramuscular (IM) Injection

An injection into the muscle; absorbed moderately as muscles have many blood vessels.

Mucosal Atomizer Device (MAD)

A specialized device used to aerosolize liquid medication for intranasal administration.

Solution

A liquid mixture of one or more substances that cannot be separated by filtering or standing.

Suspension

A mixture of fine particles ground and distributed throughout a liquid that must be shaken or swirled before administration as they will separate over time.

Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI)

A miniature spray canister used to direct medication into the lungs, delivering the same amount of medication each time.

Topical Medications

Lotions, creams, and ointments applied to the surface of the skin that affect only the area where they are applied.

Transdermal (Transcutaneous) Medication

Medications designed to be absorbed through the skin for systemic (whole-body) effects, often delivered via adhesive patches.

The Six Rights of Medication Administration

Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, and right documentation.

Echo Technique

A communication method where the EMT repeats a direct order back to the physician to ensure it was heard correctly.

Medication Administration Cross-Check Procedure

A verbal procedure using closed-loop communication to verify the right drug, patient, dose, route, and indication before administration.

Hypoglycemia

The medical term for an extremely low blood glucose level, which can cause loss of consciousness or seizures.

Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)

A medication that acts as an antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agent and inhibits platelet aggregation.

Nitroglycerin

A medication that increases blood flow by relaxing the muscular walls of the coronary arteries and veins; it decreases preload and afterload.

Epinephrine (Adrenaline)

A sympathomimetic hormone that constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate, and dilates lung passages; used for life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Polypharmacy

The use of multiple medications by one person, often leading to complex and confusing regimens.

Therapeutic Effect

The desired or intended effect a medication is expected to have.

Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)

A medication that acts as an antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory agent and inhibits platelet aggregation. Dose: 324 mg PO (chew)

• Form: 4 × 81 mg chewable tablets

• Purpose: Helps prevent platelets from forming larger clots in a heart attack.

• Do not give if: Allergy, active bleeding, or unable to swallow.

Albuterol

• Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI): 90-180 mcg (1-2 puffs) every 4-6 hours as needed. • Nebulizer: 2.5 mg (0.5 mL of a 0.5% solution) every 20 minutes for up to 3 doses, then as needed.

Epinephrine

• Anaphylaxis (IM): 0.3-0.5 mg (0.3-0.5 mL of a 1:1,000 solution) every 5-15 minutes as needed. • Cardiac Arrest (IV/IO): 1 mg (10 mL of a 1:10,000 solution) every 3-5 minutes.

peds does The standard recommendation involves a specific concentration (1 mg/mL or 1:1,000) based on the child's weight, administered via an auto-injector or manual injection.

Ipratropium Bromide

• Nebulizer: 0.5 mg (2.5 mL of a 0.02% solution) four times a day. • MDI: 2 puffs four times a day.

Nitroglycerin

• Sublingual: 0.3-0.6 mg every 5 minutes as needed, up to 3 doses. • IV infusion: Starting at 5 mcg/min and titrate to effect.

Oxygen

• Dosage depends on the patient's condition and response. For patients in severe distress, 100% oxygen may be administered. Continuous flow is typically between 2-10 L/min via nasal cannula or as needed based on pulse oximetry.