Ch. 1-4: Intro to Nursing Pharm. Flashcards
(27 cards)
absorption
what happens to a drug from the time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid; intravenous admin cause the drug to directly enter the circulating blood, bypassing the many complications of absorption from other routes
active transport
the movement of substances across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient; this process requires the use of energy
chemotherapeutic agents
synthetic chemicals used to interfere with the functioning of foreign cell populations; this term is frequently used to refer to the drug therapy of neoplasms, but it also refers to drug therapy affecting any foreign cell
critical concentration
the concentration a drug must ready in the tissues that respond to the particular drug to cause the desired therapeutic effect
distribution
movement of a drug to body tissues; the places where a drug may be distributed depend on the drug’s solubility, perfusion of the area, cardiac output, and binding of the drug to plasma proteins
enzyme induction
process by which the presence of a chemical that is biotransformed by a particular enzyme system in the liver causes increased activity of that enzyme system
Excretion
removal of a drug from the body; primarily occurs in the kidneys, but can also occur through the skin, lungs, bile or feces
first-pass effect
a phenomenon in which drugs given orally are carried directly to the liver after absorption, where they may be largely inactivated by liver enzymes before they can enter the general circulation; oral drugs frequently are given in higher doses than drugs given by others routes because of this early breakdown
glomerular filtration
the passage of water and water-soluble components from plasma into the renal tubule
half-life
the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one half of the peak level previously achieved
hepatic microsomal system
liver enzymes tightly packed together in the hepatic intracellular structure, responsible for the bio-transformation of chemicals, including drugs
loading dose
use of a higher dose than what is usually used for treatment to allow the drug to reach the critical concentration sooner
passive diffusion
movement of substances across a semipermeable membrane with the concentration gradient; this process dose not require energy
pharmacodynamics
how the drug affects the body
pharmacokinetics
how the body acts on the drug
placebo effect
documented effect if the mind on drug therapy; if a person perceives that a drug will be effective, the drug is much more likely to be effective
receptor sites
specific areas on cell membranes that react with certain chemicals to cause an effect within the cell
selective toxicity
property of a chemotherapeutic agent that affects only systems found in foreign cells without affecting healthy human cells
adverse effects
drug effects that are not desired therapeutic effects; may be unpleasant or even dangerous
brand name
name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical company that developed it; also called a trade name
chemical name
name that the drug is given during testing phase
apothecary system
a very old system of measure that was specific developed for use by apothecaries or pharmacists; it uses the minim as the basic unit of liquid measure and the grain as the basic unit of solid measurement
conversion
finding the equivalent values between two systems
Serum Sickness Reaction
drug allergy that involves antibodies that circulate in the blood and cause damage to various tissues by depositing in blood vessels. May occur a week or more after exposure. Characterized by itchy rash, high fever, swollen lymph nodes, swollen and painful joints, edema of the face and limbs.
