Basics of disease & pharmacology Flashcards
(37 cards)
define disease
an illness that affects the body (a single area or the whole system) and/or mind within a single organism
what alterations cause disease
- alterations in structure or amount of biomolecules e.g. DNA or protein
- alterations in biochemical reactions and processes e.g. vitamin deficiency
define pandemic
a new disease that occurs in humans, causing serious illness, with the capability of passing easily from person to person
define epidemic
the same as a pandemic but less widespread
major causes of disease:
- Physical agents - changes in temperature / climate, radiation e.g. common cold, sunburn
- Chemical agents & drugs - toxic compounds, certain drugs e.g. recreational & prescription drugs, chemical, plant and food poisons
- Biologic agents - viruses, bacteria, fungi, higher parasites e.g. flu, food poisoning, yeast infection
- Oxygen lack - loss of blood, ischemic heart disease e.g. ischemic heart disease, ischemic peripheral vascular disease
- Genetic - somatic mutations (not inherited - caused by environmental factors), e.g. most cancers
germline mutations (inherited) e.g. downs syndrome, cystic fibrosis - Immunologic reactions - anaphylaxis, autoimmune (failure of self-recognition by body; attacks own cells) e.g. allergy, lupus, diabetes
- Nutritional imbalances - nutrient deficiencies/excesses e.g. starvation, rickets, obesity, type II diabetes
- Endocrine imbalances - hormone deficiencies/excesses
define drug
any chemical substance that causes an effect in the body
define toxin
any substance that causes an unwanted effect in the body
*all drugs can be toxins, depending on the amount
define pharmacokinetics
the study of the movement of drugs within the body, i.e. how the body handles medication after it is administered
what are the four components of pharmacokinetics?
- absorption
- metabolism
- distribution
- excretion
describe the process of absorption
the process by which a drug moves from the site of administration across body membranes to the bloodstream
- greatest barrier is crossing membranes
describe the process of metabolism
changes drug so it can be excreted
involves biochemical reactions driven by enzymes
liver is the primary site
what is a prodrug
a drug that is taken into the body in an inactive form and is converted to its active form within the body
describe the process of distribution
the methods by which drugs are transported throughout the body
what is the minimum effective concentration
amount of drug required to produce a therapeutic effect
what is the therapeutic range of a drug
the dosage range or serum concentration that achieves the desired drug effects
what is the toxic concentration of a drug
the level of concentration that will result in serious adverse effects
what is the loading dose of a drug
comparatively large dose given at the beginning of treatment to quickly obtain the therapeutic range of a drug (plateau reached faster)
what is the maintenance dose of a drug
the dose that keeps the plasma drug concentration continuously in the therapeutic range
define pharmacodynamics
the study of the pharmacological response to a drug i.e. what a drug does to the body
what is a frequency distribution curve
- a graphical representation of patients giving measurable response to different doses of the same drug
- peak of curve indicates largest number of patients responding to a particular dose of the drug
- does not give an idea of the magnitude of patient response
what is the median effective dose (ED50)
the dose required to produce a therapeutic response in 50% of a group of patients - middle of frequency distribution curve
what is the median lethal dose (LD50)
the dose of a drug that will be lethal in 50% of a group of subjects - based on animal data
what is the median toxicity dose (TD50)
dose that will produce a given toxicity in 50% of a group of patients - has more practical value in clinical setting
define therapeutic index
measure of a drugs safety margin, higher the value the safer the drug
