Absorption: the process by which drug molecules move from their site of administration to the blood
Affinity: the ability of some tissues to attract, accumulate and store drugs in high concentrations relative to other tissues
Blood-brain barrier: Blood vessels (capillaries) that selectively let certain substances enter the brain tissue and keep other substances out
Diffusion: process by which molecules tend to move from an area where they are more concentrated to an area where they are less concentrated
Distribution: the transport of drugs throughout the body after they are absorbed
Drug-protein complexes: formed when a drugh that binds reversibly to a plasma protein, particularly albumin, that makes the drug unavailable for distribution to its site of action
Enterohepatic recirculation: recycling of drugs and other substances by the circulation of bile through the intestine and liver
Enzyme induction: process by whick a drug increases the activity of the hepatic microsomal enzymes
Excretion: the process of removing substances from the body
First-pass effect: mechanism whereby drugs are absorbed enter into the hepatic portal circulation and are inactivated by the liver before they reach the general circulation
Fetal-placental barrier: special anatomic barrier that inhibits many chemicals and drugs from entering the fetus
Hepatic microsomal enzyme system: as it relates to phamacotherapy, liver enzymes that metabolize drugs as well as nutrients and other endogenous substances, sometimes called the P-450 System
Isozymes: multiple similar forms of an enzyme that perform slightly different metabolic functions
Loading dose: relatively large dose of a drug given at the beginning of treatment to rapidly obtain a therapeutic response
Maintenance doses: amount of drug that keeps the plasma drug concentration in the therapeutic range
Metabolism: the process used by the body to chemically change a drug molecule, also called biotransformation
Minimum effective concentration: amount of drug required to produce a therapeutic effect
Pharmacokinetics: study of drug movement throughout the body
Plasma half-life: the length of time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by one half after administration
Prodrugs: drugs that become more active after they are metabolized
Substrate: drug that is metabolized by a CYP enzyme
Therapeutic drug monitoring: practice of monitoring plasma levels of drugs’ that have low safety profiles and using the data to predict drugh action or toxicity
Therapeutic range: dosage that produces the desired effects of a drug
Toxic concentration: level of drug that results in serious adverse effects
Agonist; drug that activates a receptor and produces the same type of response as the endogenous substance
Antagonist: agent that blocks the response of another drug
Dose-response relationship: the way a patient responds to varying doses of a drug
Efficacy: the maximal response that can be produced from a particular drug
Frequency distribution curve: a graphic representation of the actual number of patients responding to a particular drug action at different doses
Idiosyncratic response: unpredictable and unexplained drug reaction
Intrinsic activity: the ability of a drug to bind to a receptor and produce a strong action
Margin of safety (MOS): the amount of drug that is lethal to 1% of anmals divided by the amount of drug that produces a therapeutic effect in 99% of the animals
Median effective dose (ED50): the dose of a drug required to produce a specific therapeutic response in 50% of a group of patients
Median lethal dose (LD50): the dose of a drug that will kill 50% if a group of animals
Median toxicity dose (TD50): the dose that will produce a given toxicity in 50% of a group of patients
Partial agonist: medication that produces weaker or less efficacious response than an agonist
Pharmacodynamics; study of the mechanisms of drug action and how the body responds to drugs
Pharmacogenetics: the study of genetic variations that alter patients responses to medications branch of pharmacology that examines the role of genetics in drug response
Potency: the strength of a drug at a specified concentration or dose
Receptor: cellular molecule to which a drug binds to produce its effects
Second messenger: cascade of biochemical events taht intitiates a drugs action by either stimulationg or inhibiting a normal activity of the cell
Therapeutic index (LI): the ratio of a drugs LD50 to its ED50
Additive effect: type of drug interaction in which two agents combine to produce a summation response
Adverse drug effect: an undesirable and potentially harmful action caused by the administration of medication
Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS): voluntary program that encourages health care providers and consumers to report suspected adverse efects directly to the FDA or the product manufacturer
Antagonistic effect: type of drug interactions in which adding a second drug results in a diminished pharmacologic response
Black Box Warning: in some drug inserts, a requirement by the FDA that warns prescribers that the drug carries a risk for serious or fatal adverse effects
Drug allergies: a hype response of body defenses to a particular drug that may result in a diverse range of patient symptoms
Drug interaction: occurs when a medication interacts with another substance such as another drug, a dietary supplement, an herbal product, or food that is taken concurrently with the medication, and the drugs actions are affected
Idiosyncratic response: unpredictable and unexplained drug reaction
Risk-benefit ratio: determination of whether the risks form a drugh outweigh the potential benefits received by taking the medication
Side effect: types of drug effects that are less serious than adverse effects, are predictable and may occur even at therapeutic doses
Synergistic effect: type of drug interaction in which two drugs produce an effect that is much greater than would be expected form simply adding the two individual drugs responses
Teratogens: agent that causes birth defects
Medication administration record (MAR): legal documentation of all pharmacotherapies received by the patient
Medication error; any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care provider, patient or consumer
Medication error index: categorization of medication errors according to the degree of harm an error can cause
Medication reconciliation: the process of keeping track of a patients medication as the patients care proceeds from one health care provider to another
Polypharmacy: taking multiple drugs concurrently
Risk management: system of reducing medication errors by modifying policies and procedures within the institution
Addiction: the continued use of a substance despite serious health and social consequences
Anterograde amnesia: type of short term memory loss where the user cannot remember events that occurred while under the influence of a drug
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): disorder typically diagnosed in childhood characterized by hyperactivity as well as attention, organization, and behavior control issues
Club drug: a diverse group of abused substances taken by people at dance clubs, all night parties and raves
Controlled substance: in the United States a drug whose use is restricted by the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act
Cross-tolerance: situation in which tolerance to one drug makes the patient tolerant to another drug
Delirium tremens: a syndrome of intense agitation confusion terrifying hallucinations uncontrollable tremors panic attacks and paranoia caused by alcohol withdrawal
Hallucinogens: seeing hearing or feeling things that are not there
Opioids: class of drugs that includes natural substances obtained from the seeds of the poppy plant such as opium morphine and codeine
Physical dependence: condition of experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when a substance is discontinued after repeated use
Psychological dependence: desire to continue using a drug despite obvious negative economic physical or social consequences
Reboud effects: symptoms of lethargy and fatigue caused by withdrawal of methamphetamine and other stimulants
Reticular formation: portion of the brain affecting awareness and wakefulness
Scheduled drugs: in the United States a term describing a drug placed into one of five categories based on it potential for misuse or abuse
Sedatives: substances that depress the CNS and cause drowsiness or sleep
Substance abuse: self-administration of a drug that does not conform to the medical or social norms within the patients given culture or society
Tachyphylaxis: the rapid development of tolerance to any action of a drug either adverse or theapeutic effects
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) : the active chemical in marijuana
Tolerance: process of adapting to a drug over a period of time and subsequently requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect
Withdrawal syndrome: symptoms that result when a patient discontinues taking a substance on which he or she was dependent
Assessment; appraisal of a patients condition that involves gathering and interpreting subjective and objective data
Baseline data: data gathered during the initial assessment that is compared with data gathered during later interactions
Evaluation: systematic objective assessment of the effectiveness and impact of interventions
Evaluation criteria: specific and measurable achievements that will be used to determine if a particular goal has been met
Evidence-based practice: used of research observations nursing practice and clinical judgment to determine care
Goal: what the patient should be able to achieve and do based on the problem or nursing diagnosis established from the assessment data
Implementation: when the nurse applies the knowledge skills and principles of nursing care to help move the patient toward the desired goal and optimal wellness
Intervention: nursing action that produces an effect or that is intended to alter the course of a disease or condition designed to move the patient toward the desired goal
Nursing diagnoses: list of problems that address the patients responses to health and life processes
Nursing process: five part decision making system that includes assessment nursing diagnosis planning implementation and evaluation
Outcome: statement that includes specific measurable evaluation criteria
Planning: phase of nursing process in which appropriate goals and outcomes are developed and nursing interventions that will help the patient them are determined
