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General "Pharmacology" Test Prep Cards
paramedic studies
38 cards·by nasonrumfield
2017
What are the therapeutic effects of Amyl Nitrate?
Effective in emergency management of cyanide poisoning (works to enzymatically degrade
it.)
What are the therapeutic effects of Diazepam (Valium)?
Suppresses spread of seizure activity through the motor cortex of the brain. Also works as a
skeletal-muscle relaxant.
What are the therapeutic effects of Sodium Bicarbonate?
Provides bicarbonate ion buffer to strong acids and increases pH.
What is another name for Zofran?
Ondansetron
What are the therapeutic effects of Dopamine (Intropin)?
Increases perfusion and blood pressure. Increases cardiac output. Dilates vessels to
heart, kidneys and brain.
What are the therapeutic effects of Glucagon?
Breaks down glycogen into glucose. Elevates blood glucose levels.
What is the description of Amiodarone?
Prolongs duration of action potential and effective refractory period.
What will a "competitive" inhibitor do?
Block the enzyme's active site
What will a "non-competitive" inhibitor do?
Bind to the enzyme somewhere other than the active site ofthe enzyme
What drug could be used in specific situations of "pulseless arrest" or "wide complex
tachycardia?"
Amiodarone
What common meds cause the highest instance of reactions?
ASA (aspirin), NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), PCNs (penicillin),
Insulins
What are the 4 principles of pharmacokinetics?
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination
The administration route that bypasses the GI tract (IV, IM, SC) is called:
Parenteral
What is the "time it takes the plasma concentration of a drug to decrease by 50% after a given
dose" called?
Half-life
What is the definition of a "receptor?"
Component of a cell/organism that interacts with a drug and starts a chain of biochemical
events leading to the drug's effects
If someone were to say that the equation of "Synergism" is 1+1 = 3, what would they be referring
to?
That 2 drugs are taken together and they enhance each other (this is why, for example, it
issodeadly to combine alcohol & narcotics)
Is Narcan a "agonist," or an "antagonist?"
"Antagonist" - Example: It works to REVERSE opioid depression by competing for receptor
sites in the central nervous system
If someone were to say that the equation of "Potentiation" is 0+1 = 2, what would they be
referring to?
That one drug has no clinical activity alone, BUT when added to a "clinically active" drug, it
enhances its effects
What is a "loading dose?"
An initial dose that is larger than the doses that may follow, so to achieve effects more
rapidly
What is a "maintenance dose?"
The dose of a drug that attempts to maintain a steady plasma concentration in the therapeutic
range
What are the effects of nitroglycerine?
Smooth muscle relaxation. Vasodilation.
What are the effects of Verapamil and Diltiazem?
Calcium channel blockers that reduce vascular resistance, reduce heart rate and cardiac
force, and decrease oxygen demand
What do class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs interfere with?
The sodium channel
What do class 2 antiarrhythmic drugs do?
Act as conventional beta blockers
What do class 3 antiarrhythmic drugs interfere with?
The potassium channels
What do class 4 antiarrhythmic drugs interfere with?
The calcium channel (act as blockers)
What activates potassium, blocks calcium, and completes Atrioventricular (AV) blockade?
"Adenosine" (which is administered through IV only)
What is the SA node (also called "sinus node")?
The heart's natural pacemaker, consisting of a cluster of cells that are situated in the upper
part of the wall of the right atrium
What does "RSI" stand for?
Rapid Sequence Intubation
Etomidate comes in 20mg/10mL vials. You're told to give 0.3mg/kg to a 175 lb pt. How many
milligrams & milliliters will you be giving?
24 mg (175 lbs divided by 2.2 is 80 kg ~ 0.3 x 80 is 24), and 12 mL (24mg/2.0mg/mL = 12 mL)
What are Class 1 antiarrythmic agents also called?
Membrane-stabilizing agents
What are Class 2 antiarrythmic responsible for?
They block the effects of catecholamine at the Beta-adrenergic receptors, thereby
decreasing sympathetic activity on the heart
When are Class 2 antiarrythmic agents considered particularly useful?
When treating supraventricular tachycardias, as they work to decrease conduction through
the AV node
What do Class 3 antiarrythmic agents prolong?
Repolarization
How do Class 4 antiarrythmic agents work?
They decrease conduction through the AV node and shorten phase 2 (the plateau) of the cardiac
action potential
In what situation would using a Class 4 antiarrythmic drug be inappropriate?
When treating heart failure
What do Class 4 antiarrythmic agents allow the body to retain?
Adrenergic control of the heart rate and contractility
What are the "Phases" of Cardiac Action Potential?
P0: Depolarization - P1: Reduced sodium movement - P2: Consistent membrane potential - P3:
Repolarization - P4: Resets membrane potential