Ch. 04 Introduction to Pharmacology - Key Terms
Antibiotics
a chemical substance with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacterial life processes.
Anticonvulsants
a drug to control seizures.
Antidepressants
drugs that work to lift moods and/or change perceptions.
Antidiabetic drugs
a class of drugs that supply insulin to lower sugar or stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin.
common term for drugs that block the H1 receptors; drugs used to treat and lessen symptoms of allergies.
Antihyperlipidemic drugs
a class of cardiovascular drugs that fight high cholesterol and triglycerides.
Antihypertensive agents
drugs that work against high blood pressure.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
a drug that removes swelling from skin and internal organs.
Antipsychotic drugs
medications used to manage disordered thought and psychotic behaviors such as delusions and hallucinations, mania, and severe agitation.
ADHD
a disorder that manifests itself in difficulty focusing or concentrating, overactivity, and impulsive control.
Atypical antipsychotic drugs
first-line therapy for schizophrenia and other psychoses that address specific neurotransmitters.
Benzodiazepines
a class of drugs that acts as a sedative, hypnotic, anti-anxiety medication, and anticonvulsant. Many of these drugs share the suffix-pam
Beta-adrenergic blockers (beta blockers)
drugs that slow the fight or flight response to stress and make the heart beat slower with less force by blocking the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Many of these drugs share the suffix -phrine, as in norepinephrine and epinephrine, and -olol as in atenolol and metoprolol.
Calcium channel blockers
drugs that block calcium from entering blood vessel cells to keep them from gaining rigidity.
Cephalosporin antibiotics
antibiotic drugs developed on a beta penicillin agent bacteria.
Corticosteroids
steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex; used to reduce inflammation and pain.
Depression
a condition characterized by anxiety, hopelessness, irritability, intense sadness, loss of concentration, pessimism, and problems with eating and sleeping.
Muscle relaxants
drugs that reduce or prevent skeletal muscle contraction and pain.
Narcotic
class of drugs that numb or blunt the senses, induce sleep, or have psychoactive properties, including opium-based and opium-like drugs.
NSAID
a class of drugs that provide pain, swelling, and fever reduction.
Analgesia
substance used to relieve pain.
Bioequivalent drugs
a generic drug that delivers approximately the same amount of active ingredient into a healthy volunteer’s bloodstream in the same amount of time as the brand drug.
GERD
a GI disease characterized by burning or pain in the chest and acid taste; caused by backflow of acid contents across an incompetent esophageal sphincter.
HDL
the “good cholesterol” that picks up floating low-density lipoproteins (“bad cholesterol”) and sweeps them away through the liver.
Hyperthyroidism
condition caused by excessive thyroid hormone and marked by increased metabolic rate; also called thyrotoxicosis.