short answer definition questions

Question 1

multicentre

Answer 1

testing drugs on groups nationwide, avoids regional trends and increases variation

Question 2

double-blinded

Answer 2

both the patient and the admin team don’t know which person has the drug or placebo

Question 3

crossover

Answer 3

half start with the drug, half with placebo, then swap halfway through. allows everyone to get some advantages (if any) of the drug

Question 4

orphan drugs

Answer 4

drugs that treat diseases that are rare - government funds these trials as they would not be profitable for big pharma

Question 5

placebo

Answer 5

looks like the drug, but does not contain the active substance

Question 6

MIC testing

Answer 6

minimum inhibitory concentration

test uses tubes of same conc. bacteria, increasing volumes of antibiotic, see where the antibiotic is effective

Question 7

MBC

Answer 7

minimum bactericidal concentration

Question 8

partial agonist

Answer 8

binds and activate the receptor, but only with partial efficacy

Question 9

potency

Answer 9

measure of effect achieved by given dose of a drug

Question 10

receptor reserve

Answer 10

number of receptors not bound to anything

Question 11

competitive antagonist

Answer 11

binds selectively to the receptor, without activating it, but prevents the agonist binding

Question 12

affinity

Answer 12

tendency of a drug to bind to its receptor

Question 13

therapeutic index

Answer 13

measure of safety of a drug, the higher the value, the safer it is

Question 14

inverse agonist

Answer 14

drug that binds to the receptor but prompts a full opposite effect of the normal agonist

Question 15

bioavailability and how it’s calculated

Answer 15

indicates fraction of orally administered drug that reaches systemic circulation, taking into account absorption and metabolic degradation
(amount absorbed in systemic circulation when taken orally) / (amount absorbed when same dose given via IV)

Question 16

renal clearance and how it’s calculated

Answer 16

volume of plasma cleared of a substance by kidneys, per unit of time
clearance = (urine drug conc. X rate of urine) / (plasma drug conc.)

Question 17

bacteriostatic

Answer 17

antimicrobial stops bacterial growth and protein synthesis, immune system finishes breakdown, e.g. macrolides, such as erythromycin

Question 18

bactericidal

Answer 18

very potent antimicrobials, kills the bacteria, e.g. aminoglycosides, such as streptomycin

Question 19

broad spectrum

Answer 19

active against a wide range of bacteria – Gram negative and positive, e.g. ampicillin (a penicillin)

Question 20

narrow spectrum

Answer 20

only effective for a small range of bacteria, e.g. amoxicillin (another penicillin)

Question 21

parental administration: intramuscular

Answer 21

to specific muscles, large volumes up to 5ml, quickly blood

Question 22

parental administration: intradermal

Answer 22

15 degree angle, small volumes

Question 23

parental administration: subcutaneous

Answer 23

45 degree angle, up to 0.5ml

Question 24

parental administration: intravenous

Answer 24

directly into bloodstream, rapid onset response