Pharmacology in Nursing

Flashcards covering the fundamentals of pharmacology, history, drug actions, pharmacokinetic/dynamic phases, and nursing administration guidelines as presented in the lecture notes.

Pharmacology

The study of drugs and their origin, chemical structure, preparation, administration, action, metabolism, and excretion.

Pharmacy

The art of preparing, compounding, and dispensing drugs, as well as the physical location where these activities occur.

Pharmacist

A person licensed to prepare and dispense drugs to make up prescriptions.

Babylonians

Recorded the earliest surviving prescriptions on clay tablets in $3000\text{ B.C.}$

Pen Tsao (Great Herbal)

A 40-volume Chinese compendium of plant remedies dating back to $2700\text{ B.C.}$

Erb's Papyrus

An Egyptian document from $1500\text{ B.C.}$ containing archives of remedies.

Fredrich Serturner

The individual who first isolated morphine from opium and tested huge doses of $100\,mg$ on himself and friends.

Drugs

Chemicals that alter physiochemical processes in body cells, used interchangeably with medicines.

Generic Name

The nonproprietary name approved by medical or pharmaceutical associations and adopted by all countries (e.g., Paracetamol).

Brand Name

The trade name given by the manufacturer of a drug (e.g., Adol, Panadol, or Biogesic).

Chemical Name

The name that describes the atomic or chemical structure of a drug.

Orphan Drugs

Drugs used in the treatment of rare diseases that affect only a small number of individuals.

Zuska's Disease

A rare and painful disorder characterized by breast duct fistula and recurrent abscesses located near the nipple.

Over the Counter (OTC) Drugs

Drugs found to be safe for use without the direct supervision of a health care provider and available without a prescription.

Therapeutic Effect

The desired primary effect intended by a drug action.

Side Effect

An unintended secondary effect of a drug.

Adverse Effect

Severe side effects resulting from drug action.

Drug Toxicity

Deleterious effects resulting from overdosage, ingestion of external use drug, or accumulation in the bloodstream.

Drug Allergy

An immunologic reaction to a drug.

Drug Tolerance

An unusually low physiologic response to a drug in a specific person.

Pharmaceutic Phase

The phase, also known as dissolution, where a drug becomes a solution to cross the biologic membrane (applies to oral route only).

Excipients

Fillers and inert substances used in drug preparation to allow a drug to form and enhance dissolution.

Disintegration

The breakdown of a tablet into smaller particles.

Dissolution

The dissolving of a drug in the GI fluid before absorption.

Rate Limiting

The time it takes for a drug to disintegrate and dissolve to be absorbed.

Enteric Coated Drugs

Drugs designed to resist disintegration in the acidic environment of the stomach and instead disintegrate in the alkaline environment of the intestine.

Pharmacokinetic Phase

Process of drug movement involving absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; defined as "what the body does to the drug."

Passive Absorption

Movement of drug particles across a membrane by diffusion (higher to lower concentration) without the use of energy.

Facilitated Diffusion

Relies on a carrier protein to move a drug from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration.

Active Transport

Requires energy and a carrier (enzyme or protein) to move a drug against a concentration gradient.

Pinocytosis

Process where cells carry a drug across their membrane by engulfing the drug particle in a vesicle.

First-Pass Effect

Also known as Hepatic First Pass; the process where a drug passes through the liver via the portal vein and is metabolized into an inactive or more active form.

Bioavailability

The percentage of the administered drug dose that reaches the systemic circulation.

Distribution

The process by which a drug becomes available to body fluids and body tissues.

Metabolism (Biotransformation)

The chemical modification of a drug, primarily occurring in the liver.

Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$)

The time it takes for one-half of the drug concentration to be eliminated from the body.

Excretion

The elimination of drugs from the body, with the kidneys being the main route (via urine).

Creatinine Clearance

The most accurate test used to determine renal function to ensure proper drug excretion and avoid accumulation.

Pharmacodynamic Phase

The study of drug concentration and its effects on the body; defined as "what the drug does to the body."

Onset

The time it takes to reach the minimum effective concentration after a drug is administered.

Peak Action

Occurs when a drug reaches its highest blood or plasma concentration.

Duration of Action

The length of time a drug has a pharmacologic effect.

Agonist

Drugs that produce a response.

Antagonist

Drugs that block a response.

Therapeutic Index (TI)

A ratio that measures the effectivity and margin of safety of a drug; low TI indicates a narrow safety range.

Placebo Effect

Psychologic benefits derived from a compound that may not have the chemical structure of a drug.

The Ten Rights

A set of practice guidelines including: Medication, Dose, Time, Route, Client, Client Education, Documentation, to Refuse, Assessment, and Evaluation.

Intradermal (ID) Angle

An angle of injection almost parallel to the skin, specifically $(10-15^{\circ})$.

Ventrogluteal

The IM injection site of choice for adults and children older than 1 year because it has no large nerves/vessels and is sealed off by bone.

Vastus Lateralis

The IM site of choice for infants 1 year old and younger.

Dorsogluteal

An IM site contraindicated for children under 3 years old due to the risk of striking the sciatic nerve.

Deltoid

An IM site for rapid absorption in adults, but cannot exceed $1\,mL$ of medication; it is the recommended site for Hepa B vaccine.

Punctal Occlusion

The action of applying pressure to the inner canthus for $30$ seconds after instilling eye drops to prevent systemic absorption.

Otic Administration (Adult)

Straightening the auditory canal by pulling the pinna upward and backward (for those $>3$ years old).

Otic Administration (Child)

Straightening the auditory canal by pulling the pinna downward and backward (for those $<3$ years old).