Absorbtion
The process by which medications travel through body tissues until they reach the bloodstream.
Action
The therapeutic effect of a medication on the body.
Activated charcoal
An oral medication that binds and absorbs ingested toxins in the gastrointestinal tract for treatment of some poisonings and medication overdoses.
Adsorption
The process of binding or sticking to a surface.
Agonist
A medication that causes stimulation of receptors.
Antagonist
A medication that binds to a receptor and blocks other medications.
Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid or ASA)
A medication that is an antipyretic (reduces fever), analgesic (reduces pain), anti-inflammatory (reduces inflammation), and potent inhibitor or platelet aggregation (clumping).
Contraindications
Conditions that make a particular medication or treatment inappropriate, for example, a condition in which a medication should not be given because it would not help or may actually harm a patient.
Dose
The amount of medication given on the basis of the patient's size and age.
EMT-administered medication
When the EMT directly administers the medication to the patient.
Enteral medicatons
Medications that enter the body through the digestive system.
Epinephrine
A medication that increases heart rate and blood pressure but also eases breathing problems by decreasing muscle tone of the bronchiole tree.
Gel
A semiliquid substance that is administered orally in capsule form or through plastic tubes.
Generic name
The original chemical name of a medication (in contrast with one of its "trade names"; the name is not capitalized.
Hypoglycemia
An abnormally low blood glucose level.
Indications
The therapeutic uses for a specific medication.
Inhalation
Breathing into the lungs; a medication delivery route.
Intended effect
The effect that a medication is expected to have on the body.
Intramuscular (IM) injection
An injection into a muscle; a medication delivery route.
Intranasal (IN)
A delivery route in which a medication is pushed through a specialized atomizer device called a mucosal atomizer device (MAD) into the nare.
Intraosseous (IO)
Into the bone; a medication delivery route.
Intravenous (IV) injection
An injection directly into a vein; a medication delivery route.
Medication
A chemical substance that is used to treat or prevent disease or relieve pain.
Metered-dose inhaler (MDI)
A miniature spray canister through which droplets or particles of medication may be inhaled.
Mucosal atomizer device (MAD)
A device that is used to change a liquid medication into a spray and pushes it into a nostril.
Nitroglycerin
A medication that increases cardiac perfusion by causing arteries to dilate.
Oral
By mouth; a medication delivery route.
Oral glucose
A simple sugar that is readily absorbed by the bloodstream.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications
Medications that may be purchased directly by a patient without a prescription.
Oxygen
A gas that all cells need for metabolism; the heart and brain, especially, cannot function without it.
Parenteral medications
Medications that enter the body by a route other than the digestive tract, skin, or mucous membranes.
Patient-assisted medication
When the EMT assists the patient with the administration of his or her own medication.
Peer-assisted medication
When the EMT administers medication to him or herself or to a partner.
Per os (PO)
Through the mouth; a medication delivery route.
Per rectum (PR)
Through the rectum; a medication delivery route.
Pharmacodynamics
The process by which a medication works on the body.
Pharmacology
The study of the properties and effects of medications.
Polypharmacy
The use of multiple medications on a regular basis.
Prescription medications
Medications that are distributed to patients only by pharmacists to a physician's order.
Side effects
Any effects of a medication other than the desired ones.
Solution
A liquid mixture that cannot be separated by filtering or allowing the mixture to stand.
Subcataneous (SC) injection
Injection into the tissue between the skin and muscle; a medication delivery route.
Sublingual (SL)
Under the tongue; a medication delivery route.
Suspension
A mixture of ground particles that are distributed evenly throughout a liquid but do not dissolve.
Topical medications
Lotions, creams, and ointments that are applied to the surface of the skin and affect only that area; a medication delivery route.
Trade name
The brand name that a manufacturer gives a medication; the name is capitalized.
Transcutaneous (transdermal)
Through the skin; a medication delivery route.
Unintended effect
Actions that are undesirable but pose little risk to the patient.
Untoward effects
Actions that can be harmful to the patient.
The proper dose of medication depends on all of the following EXCEPT:
A. the patient's age
B. the patient's size
C. generic substitutions
D. the desired action
Generic substitutions.
Nitroglycerin relieves the squeezing or crushing pain associated with angina by:
Dilating the arteries to increase the oxygen supply to the heart muscle.
The brand name that a manufacturer gives to a mediation is called the _____ name.
Trade.
The fastest way to deliver a chemical substance is by the ___________ route.
Intravenous.
The form the manufacturer chooses for a medication ensures:
The proper route of the medication, the timing of the medication's release into the bloodstream, and the medication's effects on target organs or body systems.
Solutions may be give:
Orally, intramuscularly, or rectally.
In the prehospital setting, a(n) _______________ is the preferred method of giving oxygen to patients who have sufficient tidal volume and can provide up to 90% inspired oxygen.
Nonrebreathing mask.
Characteristics of epinephrine include:
Dilating passages in the lungs, constricting blood vessels, and increasing the heart rate and blood pressure.
Epinephrine acts as a specific antidote to:
Histamine.
Nitroglycerin relieves pain because its purpose is to increase blood flow by relieving the spasms or causing the arteries to:
Dilate.
Nitroglycerin affects the body in the following ways (select all that apply):
A. it decreases blood pressure
B. it relaxes veins throughout the body
C. it often causes a mild headache after administration
D. it increases blood return to the heart
A,B, and C
True or False
Nitroglycerin decreases blood flow.
True.
_______ is a simple sugar that is readily absorbed by the bloodstream.
Glucose.
___________ is the main hormone that controls the body's fight-or-flight response.
Epinephrine.
Nitroglycerin is usually taken _______________.
Sublingually.
In all but the _____________ _________ route, the medication is absorbed into the bloodstream through various body tissues.
Intravenous injection.
When given by mouth, _________ may be absorbed from the stomach fairly quickly because the medication is already dissolved.
Solutions.
A(n) __________ is a chemical substance that is used to treat or prevent disease or relieve pain.
Medication.
The term "pharmacology" is most accurately defined as:
The study of drugs and their actions of the body.
A medication with antagonistic properties is one that:
Blocks receptor sites and prevents other chemicals from attaching to them.
A drug is contraindicated for a patient when it:
May cause harm or have no positive effect.
Which of the following is an example of a brand (trade) name of a drug?
A. nitroglycerin
B. tylenol
C. furosemide
D. ibprofen
Tylenol.
Which of the following is the MOST rapidly acting medication administration route?
A. subcutaneous (SC)
B. intramuscular (IM)
C. intravenous (IV)
D. sublingual (SL)
Intravenous (IV).
Which of the following medication routes has the slowest rate of absorption?
A. rectal
B. sublingual
C. inhalation
D. oral
Oral.
Subcutaneous injections deliver the medication:
Between the skin and the muscle.
How is nitroglycerin usually given by the EMT?
Sublingually.
The ____ of a medication usually dictates the route by which it will be administered.
Form.
Which of the following statements regarding the metered-does inhaler (MDI) is correct?
A. MDIs are most commonly used by patients with cardiovascular disease
B. An MDI delivers the same amount of medication every time it is used
C. shaking an MDI prior to
An MDI delivers the same amount of medication every time is it used.
What medication form does oral glucose come in?
Gel.
You are dispatched to a movie theater for a 39-year-old female with signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. As you are assessing her, she pulls an epinephrine auto-injector out of her purse and hands it to you. After administering 100% oxygen, you sho
Contact medical control.
A 31-year-old female is experiencing an acute asthma attack. She is conscious and alert, but in obvious respiratory distress. After assisting her with her prescribed MDI, you should:
Reassess the patient and document her response to the medication.
An EMT may administer aspirin to a patient if:
Authorization from medical control has been obtained.
A 49-year-old male with an extensive cardiac history presents with 2 hours of crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. He is pale and diaphoretic and tells you that he feels like he is going to die. His medications include nitroglycerin, sildenafi (Vi
Ask him if he took his Viagra within the past 24 hours.
You arrive at a residence approximately 20 minutes after a 7-year-old boy, who weighs 22 kg, ingested a bottle of Advil. He is conscious and alert and has stable vital signs. Medical control orders you to administer activated charcoal and oxygen and then
44 g.
The medical term for an extremely low blood glucose level is:
Hypoglycemia.
Aspirin is beneficial to patients suspected of having a heart attack because it:
Prevents the aggregation of platelets.
When given to patients with cardiac-related chest pain, nitroglycerin:
Relaxes the walls of the coronary arteries.
A 62-year-old male presents with crushing chest pain, which he describes as being the same kind of pain that he had with a previous heart attack. He has prescribed nitroglycerin but states that he has not taken any. After administering 100% oxygen and con
Assist him with his nitroglycerin unless his systolic blood pressure is less than 100 mm Hg.
You are treating a 45-tear-old woman who was stung by a hornet and has a rash. She tells you that she is allergic to hornets and has her own epinephrine auto-injector. She also tells you that she takes medication for hypertension. Her breath sounds do not
Give her oxygen, transport her to the hospital, and monitor her condition en route.
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of epinephrine?
A. secreted naturally by the adrenal glands
B. constricts blood vessels
C. decreases heart rate and blood pressure
D. dilates passages in the lungs
Decreases heart rate and blood pressure.
Which of the following statements regarding the epinephrine auto-injector is correct?
A. the auto-injector delivers epinephrine via the subcutaneous route
B. the epinephrine auto-injector delivers a preset amount of the drug
C. EMTs do not need physician
The epinephrine auto-injector delivers a preset amount of the drug.
A 37-year-old male is found unconscious in his car. His airway is patent and his respirations are rapid and labored. As you and your partner are assessing and treating the patient, a police officer hands you a medication named Alupent, which he found in t
Asthma.