Key Terms
Antibiotics
are chemical substances with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacterial life processes.
Antihyperlipidemic Drugs
class of cardiovascular drugs that fight high cholesterol and triglycerides.
Atypical antipsychotic drugs
First-line therapy for schizophrenia and other psychoses that address specific neurotransmitters
Corticosteroids
Steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortices are often used to reduce inflammation and pain.
Analgesia
Substance used to relieve pain.
Anticonvulsant
drug or treatment to limit moods/or drug changes that work to limit moods and/or change perceptions.
Antihypertensive Agents
Drugs that work against high blood pressure.
Benzodiazepines (BZD)
A class of drugs that acts as a sedative, hypnotic, anti-anxiety medication, and anticonvulsant. Many of these drugs share the suffix -pam
Depressive
condition characterized by anxiety, hopelessness, irritability, intrinsic sadness, paucity of pleasures, pessimism, and problems of eating and sleeping.
Bioequivalent drugs
are 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 innovator or brand-name drug.
Antidepressants
are used to relieve pain. (Note: This definition is incomplete as provided in the image's key term list, which only refers the user to analgesia.)
Anti-inflammatory drugs
are drugs that remove swelling from the skin and internal organs.
Beta-adrenergic blockers (beta blockers)
Class of 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 -olol, as in metoprolol, propranolol, and others, and are used to treat hypertension.
Muscle relaxants
Drugs that reduce or prevent skeletal muscle contraction and pain.
GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
A GI disease characterized by backflow of acidic stomach contents, causing heartburn and acid-induced damage to the lower esophagus.
Anti-diabetic
class of drugs that supply insulin to lower sugar or stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. The sulfonylurea class of drugs is the most common one.
Antipsychotic drugs
Medications used to manage disordered thoughts and personality behaviors, such as delusions, hallucinations, mania, and severe agitation.
Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs)
This class of drugs blocks calcium from entering the cells of the blood vessels to keep them from gaining rigidity.
Narcotic
A class of drugs that numb or blunt the senses, induce sleep, or have other psychotropic properties, including the opium derived and opium-like drugs.
HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)
The "good cholesterol" that picks up cholesterol from the body and returns it to the liver for excretion.
Antihistamines
Common terms for drugs that block the H1 receptors, drugs used to treat and block the symptoms of allergies.
ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
A disorder that manifests itself in difficulty focusing or concentrating, overactivity, and difficulty with impulse control.
Cephalosporin antibiotics
Antibiotic drugs developed to act like penicillin against bacteria.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
A class of drugs that provides pain, swelling, and fever reduction.
Hyperthyroidism
A condition caused by excessive thyroid hormone and marked by increased metabolic rate, also called thyrotoxicosis.