nursing exam 1

Pharmacology

The scientific study of drugs, including their composition, effects, and interactions with living organisms.

Therapeutics

The branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of diseases and the practice of medicine.

Pharmacotherapy

The use of drugs to treat or manage disease, focusing on the application of pharmacological principles to clinical practice.

Prescription Drugs

Medications that require a doctor’s prescription due to their potential risks and complexities in use.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs

Medications available without a prescription, generally considered safe for use without professional supervision.

Herbal Remedies

Natural products derived from plants used for therapeutic purposes.

Dietary Supplements

Products taken orally that contain dietary ingredients intended to supplement the diet (e.g., vitamins, minerals).

Therapeutic Classification

Based on the therapeutic effect of the drug (e.g., antihypertensives for lowering blood pressure).

Pharmacologic Classification

Based on the drug’s mechanism of action or its effect on the body’s systems (e.g., beta-blockers affecting heart rate).

Prototype

A well-understood drug that serves as a standard for comparison within a drug class (e.g., morphine as a prototype opioid).

Bioavailability

The fraction of an administered dose of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation in an active form.

Half-life

The time required for the concentration of a drug in the bloodstream to decrease by half.

Onset of Action

The time it takes for a drug to start producing its effects after administration.

Therapeutic Range

The plasma drug concentration range between the minimum effective concentration and the minimum toxic concentration.

Peak

The highest concentration of a drug in the blood after administration.

Duration

The length of time that a drug’s therapeutic effect lasts.

Toxic Level

The concentration of a drug at which it causes adverse or harmful effects.

Pharmacoeconomic

Evaluates the cost-effectiveness of drugs, considering factors like cost per benefit, cost of treatment versus benefit, and overall economic impact.

Risk-Benefit Ratio

Assesses the advantages of a drug in treating a condition against the risks and potential side effects of the drug.

Prescriptive Authority

The legal right and responsibility of healthcare providers to prescribe medications.

Dependence

A condition where a person develops a physical or psychological reliance on a drug, often requiring it to function normally.

Withdrawal

Symptoms experienced when a person stops using a drug they are dependent on.

Controlled Substances

Classification of drugs into schedules (I-V) based on their potential for abuse and medical use.

Teratogenic Risk

The risk a drug poses to fetal development, categorized from A (no risk) to X (contraindicated in pregnancy).

Five Rights of Drug Administration

Right Drug, Right Dose, Right Route, Right Time, Right Patient.

Active Transport

Requires energy to move substances against their concentration gradient.

Diffusion

A passive process where substances move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration without energy expenditure.

Absorption

The process by which a drug enters the bloodstream from the site of administration.

Distribution

The dispersion of substances throughout the fluids and tissues of the body.

Metabolism

The chemical modification made by an organism on a chemical compound, primarily occurring in the liver.

Excretion

The process of removing drugs and metabolites from the body, mainly via the kidneys through urine.

Loading Dose

A higher initial dose of a drug given to rapidly achieve therapeutic levels in the bloodstream.

Maintenance Dose

The dose required to keep the drug concentration within the therapeutic range after the loading dose has been administered.

Therapeutic Index

The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose of a drug, indicating safety margins.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of how drugs interact with cellular receptors and the subsequent effects on the body.

Antagonist

A substance that binds to a receptor and blocks or inhibits a response.

Partial Agonist

A drug that activates a receptor but produces a sub-maximal effect compared to a full agonist.

Agonist

A substance that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a physiological response.

Assessment

Collecting and analyzing patient data to identify health needs.

Diagnosis

Formulating clinical judgments based on the assessment data.

Planning

Developing a plan of care with specific goals and interventions.

Implementation

Executing the care plan and interventions.

Evaluation

Assessing the effectiveness of the care plan and making adjustments as needed.

Subjective Data

Information provided by the patient, including symptoms and personal experiences.

Objective Data

Observable and measurable data collected through physical examination and tests.

Nursing Diagnosis

Drugs

An agent that makes biological response once taken

EX) insulin

Biological

Agent that occurs naturally in body

Biosimilar

Chemically created drug related to biologic medication which are FDA approved

Why are drug standards and regulations important

Public saftey

Black box warning

Alters prescribe informs risk associated w/drug so prescriber is wary pf extreme drug reactions

Controlled Substance

A drug that is tightly controlled by government because it may be abused or cause addiction

Teratogenic risk

Risk of drug to unborn child

Schedule 1

High potential for abuse no medical use for treatment

Schedule 2

High potential for abuse can be used for medical treatment

Schedule 3

Less abuse potetial than C2 but still high risk accepted for medical treatment.

Schedule 4

Less abuse potential than C3 still risky but is accepted medical use

Schedule 5

OTC drugs accepted for medical use

Adverse event

An undesirable experience accosiated with drug could’ve been life threatening

Adverse effect

An unfavorable drug reaction

Side effect

Non-therapeutic reaction to drug

Allergic reaction

Reaction to abnormality of foreign substance

Anaphylaxis

Severe life threatening allergic reaction

Drug-drug interaction

A reaction between two or more drugs

Drug food interaction

Effects of food on drugs effectiveness

STAT

Immediate

ASAP

30 mins not critical but time sensitive

Single order

One time order

PRN

As needed

Routine order

Medication given with 2 hours

Standing order

Medication is written in advance protocol based

Enteral

GI tract, by mouth

Topical

Applied to skin, nose, eyes, vaginal, rectum

Parenteral

Injection based

Through level

Point drug is at lowest amount in bloodstream

Potency

The stronger the drug the lower dose

Efficay

The magnitude of maximal response that can be produced by a drug taken in evening

idiosyncratic

Unexplained drug response

Baseline data

1. History of present illness

2. Past medical history

3. Social history

4. Family history

5. Review of system

Most common cause of morbidity

Medication errors

Healthcare providers effect on medication errors

High stress, illegible orders, verbal/telephone misunderstanding

Patients effect on medication errors

Going to multiple practitioners and failure to take medication

Pharmacokinetics are very important to the following groups

1. Pregnant/lactating mothers

2. Children

3. Adults-young

4. Elderly

Should pregnant women with underlying medical problems stop taking medications during pregnancy?

No it can be dangerous

A

Human studies -no risk

B

Insufficient human studies but animal research suggest saftey or vice versa

C

Insufficient human studies but animal studies show problems or vice versa

D

Human studies with/without animal research show fetal risk but the drug is important to some women to treat their conditions

X

fetal risk is evident no situation where risk/ benefit justifies the use

Adults age

Caloric need decreases with increase of age

Calcium req increases with age

CAM

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary

Use of mainstream medicine with conventional medicine

Alternative

Use of mainstream medicine instead of conventional medicine

Intergrative

Traditional and complementary approaches to treatment used in a coordinated patient centered manner. Also referred to as multimodal therapy

Homeopathy

Diseases can be cured by substances that produces similar symptoms in healthy people

Law of min dosage

Decrease dose increase effectiveness

Naturopathy

Diet/lifestyle changes, stress reduction, supplements (holistic)

Problem with herbal supplements

1. Herbs can contain multiple chemicals that haven’t been studied

2. Herbal interactions w/medication can result in detrimental side effects

Epidemic

A disease that effects large number of people within community, population or region

Bioterrisom

Intentional use of infectious biologic agents