Part 1: Introduction to Nursing Pharmacology Terms

Phase II study

a clinical study of a proposed drug by selected physicians using actual patients who have disorder the drug

Cost comparison

a comparison of the relative cost of the same drug provided by different manufacturers to determine the costs to the consumer

Young's rule

a method for determining pediatric drug dose based on the child's age ad the usual adult dose; it states child's dose (age 1-12 y)= [(child's age (y)/child's age (y) +12) * average adult dose]

Fried's rule

a method of determining a pediatric dose for a child younger than 1 year of age, based on the child's age and the usual adult dose (assumes that the adult dose would be appropriate for a 12.5-year-old child; it states child's dose (age 1 y)= [(weight of child (lb)/150 (lb)) * average adult dose]

Clark's rule

a method of determining the correct drug dose for a child based on the known adult dose (assume that the adult dose is based on a 150-lb person; it states child's dose= [(weight of child (lb)/150 (lb)) * average adult dose]

Phase I study

a pilot study of a potential drug done with a small number of selected, healthy human volunteers

Apothecary system

a very old system of measure that was specifically developed for use by apothecaries or pharmacist; it uses the minim as the basic unit of liquid measure and the grain as the basic unit of solid measure

Implementation

actions undertaken to meet a patient's needs, such as administration of drugs, comfort measures, or patient teaching

Ratio and proportion

an equation in which a ration containing two known equivalent amounts is on one side and a ration containing the amount desired to convert and its unknown equivalent is on the other side

Evaluation

art of the nursing process; determining the effects of the interventions that were instituted for the patients and leading to further assessment and intervention

Blood dyscrasia

bone marrow depression caused drug effects on the rapidly multiplying cells of the bone marrow; lower-than-normal levels of blood components can be seen

Drugs

chemicals that are introduced into the body to bring about some sort of change

Pharmacotherapeutics

clinical pharmacology -the branch of pharmacology that deals with drugs; chemicals that are used in medicine for the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of the disease in human

Phase IV study

continual evaluation of a drug after it has been released for marketing

Placebo effect

documented effect of the mind on drug therapy; if a person perceives that a drug will be effective, the drug is much more likely to actually be effective

Adverse effects

drug effects that are not the desired therapeutic effects; may be unpleasant or even dangerous

Generic drugs

drugs sold by their generic names; not brand (or trade) name products

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs

drugs that are available without a prescription for self-treatment of a variety of complaints; deemed to be safe when used as directed

Orphan drugs

drugs that have been discovered but would not be profitable for a drug company to develop; usually drugs that would treat only a small number of people; these orphans can be adopted by drug companies to develop

Hypersensitivity

excessive responsiveness to either the primary or secondary effects of a drug may be caused by a pathological condition or, in the absence of one, by particular patient's individual response

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

federal agency responsible for the regulation and enforcement of drug evaluation and distribution policies

Conversion

finding the equivalent values between two systems of measure

Drug allergy

formation of antibodies to a drug or drug protein; causes an immune response when the person is next exposed to that drug

Teratogenic

having adverse effects on the fetus

Alternative therapy

includes herbs and other "natural" products as often found in ancient records; the products are not controlled or tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are considered to be dietary supplements; however, they are often the basis for discovery of an active ingredient that is later developed into a regulated medication

Superinfections

infection caused by the destruction of normal flora bacteria by certain drugs, which allow other bacteria to enter the body and cause infection, may occur during the course of antibiotic therapy

Stomatitis

inflammation of the mucous membranes related drug effects; can lead to alterations in nutrition and dental problems

Assessment

information gathering regarding the current status of a particular patient, including evaluation of past history and physical examination; provides a baseline of information and clues to effectiveness of therapy

Preclinical drug

initial trial of a chemical thought to have therapeutic potential; uses laboratory animals, not human subjects

Hepatic microsomal system

liver enzymes tightly packed together in the hepatic intracellular structure, responsible for the biotransformation of chemicals, including drugs

Distribution

movement of a drug to body tissues; the places where a drug may be distributed depend on the drug's solubility, perfusion of the area, cardiac output, and binding of the drug to plasma proteins

Passive diffusion

movement of substances across a semipermeable membrane with the concentration gradient; this process does not require energy

Brand name

name given to a drug by the pharmaceutical company that developed it; also called a trade name

Chemical name

name that reflects the chemical structure of a drug

Street drugs

nonprescription drugs with no known therapeutic use; used to enhance mood or increase pleasure

Poisoning

overdose of a drug that causes damage to multiple body systems and has the potential for fatal reactions

Rights

patient, drug, dosage, route, temp, documentation, and refuse

First-pass effect

phenomenon in which drugs given orally are carried directly to the liver after absorption, where they may be largely inactivated by liver enzymes before they can enter the general circulation, oral drugs frequently are given in higher doses than drugs given by other routes because of this early breakdown

Enzyme induction

process by which the presence of a chemical that is biotransformed by a particular system in the liver causes increased activity of that enzyme system

Genetic engineering

process of altering DNA, usually of bacteria, to produce a chemical to be used as a drug

Selective toxicity

property of a chemotherapeutic agent that affects only systems found in foreign cells without affecting healthy human cells (e.g. specific antibiotics can affect certain proteins or enzymes systems used by bacteria but not by human cells)

Excretion

removal of a drug from the body; primarily occurs in the kidneys, but can also occur through the skin, lungs, bile, or feces

Dermatological reactions

skin reactions commonly seen as adverse effects of drugs; can range from simple rash to potential fatal exfoliate dermatitis

Biological weapons

so-called germ warfare; the use of bacteria, viruses, and parasites on a larger scale tot incapacitate or destroy a population

Receptor sites

specific areas on cell membranes that react with certain chemicals to cause an effect within the cell

Nursing diagnosis

statement of an actual or potential problem, based on the assessment of a particular clinical situation, which directs needed nursing intervention

Chemotherapeutic agents

synthetic chemicals used to interfere with the functioning of foreign cell populations; this term is frequently used to refer to the drug therapy of neoplasms, but it also refers to drug therapy affecting any foreign cell

Self-care

tendency for patients to self-diagnose and determine their own treatment needs

Nursing

the art of nurturing and administering to the sick, combined with the scientific application of chemistry, anatomy, biology, nutrition, psychology, and pharmacology to the particular clinical situation

Critical concentration

the concentration a drug must reach in the tissues that respond to the particular drug to cause the desired therapeutic effect

Metric system

the most widely used system of measurer, based on the decimal system; all units in the system are determined as multiples of 10

Active transport

the movement of substances across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient, this process requires the use of energy

Generic names

the original designation that a drug is given when the drug company that developed it applies for the approval process

Glomerular filtration

the passage of water and water-soluble components from plasma into the renal tubule

Nursing process

the problem-solving process used to provide efficient nursing care; it involves gathering information, formulating a nursing diagnosis statement, carrying out interventions, and evaluating the process

Pharmacogenomics

the study of genetically determined variations in the response to drugs

Pharmacology

the study of the biological effects of chemicals

Pharmacodynamics

the study of the interactions between the chemical components of living systems and the foreign chemicals, including drugs, that enter living organisms; the way a drug affects the body

Half-life

the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease to one half of the peak level it previously achieved

Pharmacokinetics

the way the body deals with a drug, including absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and excretion

Internet

the worldwide digital system accessed through computer systems

Phase III study

use of a proposed drug on a wide scale in the clinical setting with patients who have the disease the drug is thought to treat

Loading dose

use of higher dose than what is usually used for treatment to allow the drug to reach the critical concentration sooner

Off-label uses

uses of a drug that are not part of the stated therapeutic indications for which drug was approved by the FDA off-label uses may lead to new indications for a drug

Absorption

what happens to a drug from the time it enters the body until it enters the circulating fluid; intravenous administration causes the drug to directly enter the circulating blood, bypassing the main complications of absorption from other routes