"A" Key Terms
Antibiotics
A chemical substance with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacteria life processes.
Benzodiazepines
A class of drugs that acts as a sedative, hypnotic, anti-anxiety medication, and anticonvulsant. Many of these drugs share the suffix -pam or -lam.
Muscle relaxants
Drugs that reduce or prevent skeletal muscle contraction and pain.
Hyperthyroidism
A condition caused by excess thyroid hormone and marked by increased metabolic rate, also called thyrotoxicosis.
Pharmacodynamics
The actions of a drug and how it works to exert its therapeutic effect.
Anticonvulsants
A drug to control seizures.
Beta-adrenergic blockers
Class of drugs that slow the rate of flight or fight response to stress and make the heart beat slower with less force by blocking the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).
Narcotic
Class of drugs that numb or blunt the senses, inducing sleep, or have other psychoactive properties, including the opium-based and opium-like drugs.
Hypothyroidism
An underactive thyroid, producing too little thyroid hormone.
Pharmacokinetics
Individualized doses of drugs based on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs from the body.
Antidepressants
Drugs that work to lift moods and/or change perceptions.
Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs)
This class of drugs blocks calcium from entering the cells of the blood vessels to keep them from gaining rigidity.
NSAID (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
A class of drugs that provide pain, swelling, and fever reduction.
Indications
The common intended uses of the drug to treat specific diseases, symptoms, or conditions.
Pharmacology
The science of drugs and their interactions with the system of living animals.
Anti-diabetic drugs
A class of drugs that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin or improve the sensitivity of cells to insulin.
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Antibiotic drugs developed to act like penicillin against bacteria.
GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
A GI disease characterized by radiating burning or pain in the chest and an acid taste, caused by backflow of acidic stomach contents across an incompetent lower esophageal sphincter.
Lipids
Fatty molecule that is an important constituent of cell membranes, includes natural oils, waxes, and steroids.
Progesterone
The hormone that prepares the uterus for the reception and development of the fertilized ovum.
Antihistamines
Common term for drugs that block the H1 receptor, drugs used to treat and lessen the symptoms of allergies.
Corticosteroids
Hormonal medicine that is produced by the adrenal cortex often used to reduce inflammation and pain.
HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)
Also known as the "good cholesterol" that picks up floating low-density lipoprotein (the "bad cholesterol") and sweeps them away through the bloodstream.
LDL (low density lipoprotein)
Also known as the "bad cholesterol" that floats around and attaches itself to the lining of the blood vessels, clogging them.
PPI (Proton pump inhibitors)
A class of drugs that works to stop stomach acid production by blocking gastric acid secretion by inhibiting the enzyme that pumps hydrogen ions into the stomach.