Active absorption
Requires a carrier to move the drug against a concentration gradient. Requires energy.
Adverse reaction
More severe than side effects.
Agonists
Drugs that produce a response.
Antagonists
Drus that block a response.
Bioavailability
The percentage of the administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation.
Creatinine clearance
Most accurate test to determine renal function. Normal range = 85-135ml/min. Elderly/female may be lower.
Disintegration
The breakdown of a tablet into smaller particles
Distribution
The process by which the drug becomes available to body fluids & body tissues.
Duration of action
The length of time a drug has a pharmacologic effect.
Elimination
Body gets rid of the drug. Main route = kidneys (urine)
Dissolution
The dissolving of the smaller particles in GI fluid before absorption
Excipients
Fillers & inert substances used in drug preparation to allow the drug to take on a particular size/shape and to enhance drug dissolution
First-pass effect
Process in which the drug passes to the liver first.
Free drugs
Portion of drug not bound to protein. Active part of drug that causes an effect.
Half-life (t1/2)
The time it takes 1/2 of the drug to be eliminated
High therapeutic index
Wide margin of safety. Less dangerous.
Ligand-binding domain
The site on the receptor in which drugs bind.
Loading dose
Large initial dose to achieve an immediate drug response.
Low therapeutic index
Narrow margin of safety. Dangerous.
Metabolism
Taking the drug into the body.
Nonselective drugs
Drugs that affect various receptors.
Nonspecific drugs
Drugs that affect various sites.
Onset of action
The time it takes to reach the minimum effect concentration after a drug is administered.
Passive absorption
Occurs mostly by diffusion. No energy required.
Peak action
Occurs when the drug reaches its highest blood plasma concentration.
Peak drug level
Highest plasma concentration of drug at a specific time. Indicates rate of absorption.
Pharmaceutic phase
1st phase. Drug breaks down & is prepared for metabolism. Disintegration + dissolution.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of drug concentration & its effects on the body.
Pharmacogenetics
Effect of a drug action that varies from a predicted drug response because of genetic factors or heredity influence.
Pharmacokinetics
The process of drug movement to achieve drug action. Absorption + distribution + metabolism + excretion.
Pinocytosis
A process by which cells carry a drug across their membrane by engulfing drug particles.
Placebo effect
A psychologic benefit from a compound that may not have the chemical structure of a drug effect.
Protein-binding effect
Higher protein binding = less free (active) drug.
Rate limiting
The time it takes the drug to disintegrate and dissolve to become available for the body to absorb it.
Receptor families
1) Kinase-linked receptors 2)Ligand-gated ion channels 3)G protein-coupled receptor systems 4)Nuclear receptors
Side effects
Physiologic effects not related to desired drug effects.
Tachyphylaxis
A rapid decrease in response to a drug.
Therapeutic index (TI)
Estimates the margin of safety of a drug through the use of a ratio that measures the effective dose & lethal dose.
Therapeutic range/window
Drug concentration in the plasma. Should be between MEC & MTC.
Time-response curve
Evaluates the onset of drug action, peak action, & duration of action.
Tolerance
Decreased responsiveness over the course of therapy.
Toxic effects
Result from high plasma concentrations o a drug
Toxicity
Occur from overdosing/accumulation
Trough level
Lowest drug concentration in the plasma. Indicates rate of elimination.
A client asks why the oral dose of his pain medication is higher than the intravenous dose. The nurse explains that with the oral dose, some of the drug is absorbed from the GI tract and is metabolized by the liver to an inactive drug form. This reduces t
Hepatic first pass
A nurse is learning how to draw peak and trough levels of a medication. The nurse is aware that the trough level is the:
Lowest plasma concentration of a drug.
Isoproterenol (Isuprel) is an example of a medication that enhances the beta receptors in the body. Drugs that enhance a response are known as:
Agonists
When providing a medication, if the nurse wanted to select the route that ensures greatest bioavailability, that route is:
Intravenously
A client's creatinine clearance level is 105 ml/minute. Based on this information, a nurse would anticipate that the dose of the drug would be:
The same
A nurse is providing an oral medication for pain relief to a client. To attain the fastest pain relief, the nurse administers the medication so that it is most rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Which of the following has the fastest a
Liquid suspension
The serum half-life (t1/2) of a drug is:
the time required after absorption for half of the drug to be eliminated
A nurse is administering a high dose of a medication in order to rapidly achieve a minimum effective concentration. This dose is known as the:
Loading dose
Because of hereditary influence, drug action may vary from a predicted drug response. This is known as:
Pharmacogenetics
Oral medication passes through several phases and processes in order to achieve a physiological response. What is the order?
Dissolution, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
A client's serum protein and albumin levels are below normal values. For a drug that is highly protein-bound, there would be:
More free drug in circulation
A client is taking a drug that is moderately highly protein-bound. Several days later, the client takes a second drug that is 90% protein-bound. What happens to the first drug that is highly protein-bound?
The first drug is released from the protein and becomes more pharmacologically active.
A client is suffering from end-stage renal disease. Because of this condition, the nurse monitors drug levels to assess for:
Accumulation
Undesired effects are frequently associated with a client stopping a medication before completion of the full course. Physiologic effects, not related to the desired effect, that can be predicted or associated with the use of the drug are called:
Side effects
Drug tolerance to a frequently repeated administration of a certain drug is known as:
tachyphylaxis
Active absorption
Requires a carrier to move the drug against a concentration gradient. Requires energy.
Adverse reaction
More severe than side effects.
Agonists
Drugs that produce a response.
Antagonists
Drus that block a response.
Bioavailability
The percentage of the administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation.
Creatinine clearance
Most accurate test to determine renal function. Normal range = 85-135ml/min. Elderly/female may be lower.
Disintegration
The breakdown of a tablet into smaller particles
Distribution
The process by which the drug becomes available to body fluids & body tissues.
Duration of action
The length of time a drug has a pharmacologic effect.
Elimination
Body gets rid of the drug. Main route = kidneys (urine)
Dissolution
The dissolving of the smaller particles in GI fluid before absorption
Excipients
Fillers & inert substances used in drug preparation to allow the drug to take on a particular size/shape and to enhance drug dissolution
First-pass effect
Process in which the drug passes to the liver first.
Free drugs
Portion of drug not bound to protein. Active part of drug that causes an effect.
Half-life (t1/2)
The time it takes 1/2 of the drug to be eliminated
High therapeutic index
Wide margin of safety. Less dangerous.
Ligand-binding domain
The site on the receptor in which drugs bind.
Loading dose
Large initial dose to achieve an immediate drug response.
Low therapeutic index
Narrow margin of safety. Dangerous.
Metabolism
Taking the drug into the body.
Nonselective drugs
Drugs that affect various receptors.
Nonspecific drugs
Drugs that affect various sites.
Onset of action
The time it takes to reach the minimum effect concentration after a drug is administered.
Passive absorption
Occurs mostly by diffusion. No energy required.
Peak action
Occurs when the drug reaches its highest blood plasma concentration.
Peak drug level
Highest plasma concentration of drug at a specific time. Indicates rate of absorption.
Pharmaceutic phase
1st phase. Drug breaks down & is prepared for metabolism. Disintegration + dissolution.
Pharmacodynamics
The study of drug concentration & its effects on the body.
Pharmacogenetics
Effect of a drug action that varies from a predicted drug response because of genetic factors or heredity influence.
Pharmacokinetics
The process of drug movement to achieve drug action. Absorption + distribution + metabolism + excretion.
Pinocytosis
A process by which cells carry a drug across their membrane by engulfing drug particles.
Placebo effect
A psychologic benefit from a compound that may not have the chemical structure of a drug effect.
Protein-binding effect
Higher protein binding = less free (active) drug.
Rate limiting
The time it takes the drug to disintegrate and dissolve to become available for the body to absorb it.
Receptor families
1) Kinase-linked receptors 2)Ligand-gated ion channels 3)G protein-coupled receptor systems 4)Nuclear receptors
Side effects
Physiologic effects not related to desired drug effects.
Tachyphylaxis
A rapid decrease in response to a drug.
Therapeutic index (TI)
Estimates the margin of safety of a drug through the use of a ratio that measures the effective dose & lethal dose.
Therapeutic range/window
Drug concentration in the plasma. Should be between MEC & MTC.
Time-response curve
Evaluates the onset of drug action, peak action, & duration of action.
Tolerance
Decreased responsiveness over the course of therapy.
Toxic effects
Result from high plasma concentrations o a drug
Toxicity
Occur from overdosing/accumulation
Trough level
Lowest drug concentration in the plasma. Indicates rate of elimination.
A client asks why the oral dose of his pain medication is higher than the intravenous dose. The nurse explains that with the oral dose, some of the drug is absorbed from the GI tract and is metabolized by the liver to an inactive drug form. This reduces t
Hepatic first pass
A nurse is learning how to draw peak and trough levels of a medication. The nurse is aware that the trough level is the:
Lowest plasma concentration of a drug.
Isoproterenol (Isuprel) is an example of a medication that enhances the beta receptors in the body. Drugs that enhance a response are known as:
Agonists
When providing a medication, if the nurse wanted to select the route that ensures greatest bioavailability, that route is:
Intravenously
A client's creatinine clearance level is 105 ml/minute. Based on this information, a nurse would anticipate that the dose of the drug would be:
The same
A nurse is providing an oral medication for pain relief to a client. To attain the fastest pain relief, the nurse administers the medication so that it is most rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Which of the following has the fastest a
Liquid suspension
The serum half-life (t1/2) of a drug is:
the time required after absorption for half of the drug to be eliminated
A nurse is administering a high dose of a medication in order to rapidly achieve a minimum effective concentration. This dose is known as the:
Loading dose
Because of hereditary influence, drug action may vary from a predicted drug response. This is known as:
Pharmacogenetics
Oral medication passes through several phases and processes in order to achieve a physiological response. What is the order?
Dissolution, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion
A client's serum protein and albumin levels are below normal values. For a drug that is highly protein-bound, there would be:
More free drug in circulation
A client is taking a drug that is moderately highly protein-bound. Several days later, the client takes a second drug that is 90% protein-bound. What happens to the first drug that is highly protein-bound?
The first drug is released from the protein and becomes more pharmacologically active.
A client is suffering from end-stage renal disease. Because of this condition, the nurse monitors drug levels to assess for:
Accumulation
Undesired effects are frequently associated with a client stopping a medication before completion of the full course. Physiologic effects, not related to the desired effect, that can be predicted or associated with the use of the drug are called:
Side effects
Drug tolerance to a frequently repeated administration of a certain drug is known as:
tachyphylaxis