Pharmacology for Paramedics Questions and Answers Rated A+

Pharmacology for Paramedics Questions and Answers Rated A+ Pharmacology The study of biochemical and physiological properties of medications Pharmacokinetics How the body acts on drugs, inc. absorption, distribution, metabolism/biotransformation, & excretion Receptors Sites on various tissues to which some drugs bind to exert their desired effects Pharmacodynamics How a drug works and interacts with various receptors, other drugs, and enzyme systems Absorption The movement of medication from the point of administration into the bloodstream Dose The amount being delivered, i.e. ml, mg Dosage The dose, frequency and number of doses to be given in total i.e. 5mg every 4 hours for a week Enteral Medications that are given orally or rectally and are absorbed by the GI tract Parental Medications that are given that bypass the GI system, such as IM, IV, IO or subcut Non-parental Medications that are not given invasively, generally in reference to nebulised or inhaled medications Bioavailability Percentage of an administered drug that is available in the bloodstream Half-life Time required for the concentration of medication in the bloodstream to be half of the original level Duration of action Amount of time a single dose of medication produces the desired effects Nebulised When a liquid medication is made into small particles by a delivery device and delivered by inhalation Buccal Medication administered between the cheek and gums of a conscious patient and absorbed across the mucous membranes, such as glucose gel in a hypoglycaemic event Sublingual Medication, such as GTN spray, that is administered under the tongue for absorption Transdermal Medication is administered via a patch that is applied to the skin Metabolism The breakdown and change of a drug by various chemical reactions throughout the body Biotransformation The action of various biological systems within the body making changes to the chemical structure Distribution Refers to the transportation of a drug through the bloodstream to various tissues and ultimately to the target site Passive diffusion When a drug can penetrate cells by simply crossing through the cells; membrane, influences by the chemical nature of a drug such as the molecular size, chemical charge, fat or water solubility, and drug concentration within the body Facilitated diffusion When the transfer of a drug into a membrane is dependant upon a second molecule to carry the drug molecule into the cell Endocytosis Minor method of drug movement in which a cell forms a sac around the drug molecule with the cell's membrane, and the cell membrane folds inward, bringing the drug into the cell Therapeutic index The measurement of the safety of a drug, in which the ratio between the toxic and therapeutic concentrations of a drug is established Excretion The removal of a drug or metabolite from the body, for which the kidney is typically responsible