Respiratory Care Pharmacology

Vocabulary flashcards for Respiratory Care Pharmacology.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Respiratory disorder characterized by respiratory insufficiency that may occur as a result of trauma, pneumonia, oxygen toxicity, gram-negative sepsis, and systemic inflammatory response.

Aerosolized agents

Group of aerosol drugs for pulmonary applications that includes adrenergic, anticholinergic, mucoactive, corticosteroid, antiasthmatic, and antiinfective agents and surfactants instilled directly into the trachea.

Airway resistance (Raw)

Measure of the impedance to ventilation caused by the movement of gas through the airway.

Chemical name

Name indicating the chemical structure of a drug.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Disease process characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, is usually progressive, and is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lung to noxious particles or gases. Diseases that cause airflow limitation include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and bronchiectasis.

Code name

Name assigned by a manufacturer to an experimental chemical that shows potential as a drug.

Cystic fibrosis (CF)

Inherited disease of the exocrine glands, affecting the pancreas, respiratory system, and apocrine glands. Symptoms usually begin in infancy and are characterized by increased electrolytes in sweat, chronic respiratory infection, and pancreatic insufficiency.

Drug administration

Method by which a drug is made available to the body.

Generic name

Name assigned to a chemical by the United States Adopted Name (USAN) Council when the chemical appears to have therapeutic use and the manufacturer wishes to market the drug.

Nonproprietary name

Name of a drug other than its trademarked name.

Official name

In the event that an experimental drug becomes fully approved for general use and is admitted to the United States Pharmacopeiaâ National Formulary (USP-NF), the generic name becomes the official name.

Orphan drug

Drug or biologic product for the diagnosis or treatment of a rare disease (affecting fewer than 200,000 persons in the United States).

Pharmacodynamics

Mechanisms of drug action by which a drug molecule causes its effect in the body.

Pharmacogenetics

Study of the interrelationship of genetic differences and drug effects.

Pharmacognosy

Identification of sources of drugs, from plants and animals.

Pharmacokinetics

Time course and disposition of a drug in the body, based on its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.

Pharmacology

Study of drugs (chemicals), including their origins, properties, and interactions with living organisms.

Pharmacy

Preparation and dispensing of drugs.

Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly carinii)

Organism causing Pneumocystis pneumonia in humans, seen in immunosuppressed individuals, such as those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Prescription

Written order for a drug, along with any specific instructions for compounding, dispensing, and taking the drug.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A gram-negative organism, primarily a nosocomial pathogen.

Respiratory care pharmacology

Application of pharmacology to the treatment of pulmonary disorders and, more broadly, critical care.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Virus that causes the formation of syncytial masses in cells. This leads to inflammation of the bronchioles, which may cause respiratory distress in young infants.

Therapeutics

Art of treating disease with drugs.

Toxicology

Study of toxic substances and their pharmacologic actions, including antidotes and poison control.

Trade name

Brand name, or proprietary name, given to a drug by a particular manufacturer.