NUR 3145 - Exam 1 (ch 2, 3, 4, 54, 55)
Questions and Correct Answers
What are pharmacokinetics? ✅the study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
excretion of drugs
What is absorption? ✅How a drug enters the body; (what happens to a drug from the
time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid)
What affects drug absorption? ✅route, blood flow, food, drug formulation
What are the possible routes of drug administration? ✅IV, IM, subcutaneous, Oral,
Rectal, mucous membrane, topical, inhalation
What routes of drug administration are the fastest? ✅IV then IM
What does enteric coated mean and how does it affect oral administration? ✅the
enteric coating protects the stomach, CAN'T CHEW OR CRUSH
What two places does drug absorption typically occur? ✅Stomach or veins
What is the first pass effect? ✅Drugs absorbed from the stomach and small intestine
travel to liver, where they may be inactivated before reaching target organ(s) (less
concentrated after going through stomach)
What is distribution? ✅movement of a drug to body tissues
What affects distribution of drugs? ✅blood flow to tissues (ie intramuscular is quicker
in men), drug solubility, tissue storage, drug protein binding
What is metabolism? ✅Breaking down of drug, usually by enzymes, changes drug into
less active, chemical form
What is the primary site of drug metabolism? ✅Liver
Which group of people struggle to metabolize drugs? ✅Infants (b/c still developing)
and those with liver disease
What is excretion? ✅How drug exits body
What is the primary site of drug excretion? ✅kidneys
, How can we measure ability to excrete drugs? ✅Blood work ( increased creat and
BUN), urine test
What does half life mean? ✅time it takes for 1/2 of drug to leave system
Drug X has a half-life of 8 hours. If 800mg is administered at 1:00 a.m, how much of the
drug would be eliminated after 24 hours? ✅700mg eliminated, 100mg left
Drug V has a half-life of 2 hours. If 450 mg is administered at 4:00 p.m, at what time will
the drug be considered eliminated? ✅2 am
Drug J has a half-life of 5 hours. If 500mg is administered at 8:00 p.m, how much would
be eliminated after 15 hours? ✅425mg would be eliminated (75mg would be left)
Drug B has a half-life of 9 hours. If 300mg is administered at 5:00 p.m, at what amount
would the drug be considered to be completely eliminated? ✅2 pm
What is the therapeutic level? ✅Point at which the drug has maximum desired effect
(when drug is working it's best)
What is the critical concentration of a drug? ✅The amount of a drug that is needed to
cause a therapeutic effect
(the drug's personal best)
What is the therapeutic index? ✅ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose
How do we regulate therapeutic effect or maintain critical concentration? ✅take drug
as directed @ same time, and until complete
What is a loading dose? ✅initial higher dose of a drug that may be given at the
beginning of treatment to RAPIDLY achieve a therapeutic level (usually drugs with
longer half-life)
What is a maintenance dose? ✅keep concentration within therapeutic range, (after
loading dose!)
What is a superinfection? ✅infection comes as result of taking other medications
(usually because meds kill good bacteria too)
What are signs of superinfection? ✅C. Diff, thrush (dry mouth), white in mouth,
diarrhea, UTI, vagina (yeast), fever, patches (skin?)
What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)? ✅a life threatening side effect of
Questions and Correct Answers
What are pharmacokinetics? ✅the study of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
excretion of drugs
What is absorption? ✅How a drug enters the body; (what happens to a drug from the
time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid)
What affects drug absorption? ✅route, blood flow, food, drug formulation
What are the possible routes of drug administration? ✅IV, IM, subcutaneous, Oral,
Rectal, mucous membrane, topical, inhalation
What routes of drug administration are the fastest? ✅IV then IM
What does enteric coated mean and how does it affect oral administration? ✅the
enteric coating protects the stomach, CAN'T CHEW OR CRUSH
What two places does drug absorption typically occur? ✅Stomach or veins
What is the first pass effect? ✅Drugs absorbed from the stomach and small intestine
travel to liver, where they may be inactivated before reaching target organ(s) (less
concentrated after going through stomach)
What is distribution? ✅movement of a drug to body tissues
What affects distribution of drugs? ✅blood flow to tissues (ie intramuscular is quicker
in men), drug solubility, tissue storage, drug protein binding
What is metabolism? ✅Breaking down of drug, usually by enzymes, changes drug into
less active, chemical form
What is the primary site of drug metabolism? ✅Liver
Which group of people struggle to metabolize drugs? ✅Infants (b/c still developing)
and those with liver disease
What is excretion? ✅How drug exits body
What is the primary site of drug excretion? ✅kidneys
, How can we measure ability to excrete drugs? ✅Blood work ( increased creat and
BUN), urine test
What does half life mean? ✅time it takes for 1/2 of drug to leave system
Drug X has a half-life of 8 hours. If 800mg is administered at 1:00 a.m, how much of the
drug would be eliminated after 24 hours? ✅700mg eliminated, 100mg left
Drug V has a half-life of 2 hours. If 450 mg is administered at 4:00 p.m, at what time will
the drug be considered eliminated? ✅2 am
Drug J has a half-life of 5 hours. If 500mg is administered at 8:00 p.m, how much would
be eliminated after 15 hours? ✅425mg would be eliminated (75mg would be left)
Drug B has a half-life of 9 hours. If 300mg is administered at 5:00 p.m, at what amount
would the drug be considered to be completely eliminated? ✅2 pm
What is the therapeutic level? ✅Point at which the drug has maximum desired effect
(when drug is working it's best)
What is the critical concentration of a drug? ✅The amount of a drug that is needed to
cause a therapeutic effect
(the drug's personal best)
What is the therapeutic index? ✅ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose
How do we regulate therapeutic effect or maintain critical concentration? ✅take drug
as directed @ same time, and until complete
What is a loading dose? ✅initial higher dose of a drug that may be given at the
beginning of treatment to RAPIDLY achieve a therapeutic level (usually drugs with
longer half-life)
What is a maintenance dose? ✅keep concentration within therapeutic range, (after
loading dose!)
What is a superinfection? ✅infection comes as result of taking other medications
(usually because meds kill good bacteria too)
What are signs of superinfection? ✅C. Diff, thrush (dry mouth), white in mouth,
diarrhea, UTI, vagina (yeast), fever, patches (skin?)
What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)? ✅a life threatening side effect of
