Glossary

An unintended pharmacological effect that occurs when a medication is administered correctly.

Concurrent administration of two drugs causes harmful effects such as a decrease of drug activity, decreased therapeutic levels due to increased metabolism and elimination, or increased potential for toxicity due to decreased metabolism and elimination. An example of an antagonistic interaction is taking antacids with antibiotics, causing decreased absorption of the antibiotic.

Controls cardiac and smooth muscle, as well as glandular tissue; associated with involuntary responses.

Antimicrobial drugs that kill their target bacteria.

Antimicrobial drugs that cause bacteria to stop reproducing but may not ultimately kill the bacteria.

An antibiotic that targets a wide variety of bacterial pathogens, including both gram-positive and gram-negative species.

A test performed to examine different body substances for the presence of bacteria or fungus.

A more significant response occurs in the body when the medication is administered in large doses to provide a large amount of medication to the site of infection for a short period of time.

Infections caused by Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria are examples of gram + infection.

A test used to quickly diagnose bacterial infection .Identification of bacteria as gram + or gram - assists the healthcare provider in selecting an appropriate antibiotic to treat the infection.

The rate at which 50% of a drug is eliminated from the bloodstream.

Balance between the SNS and PNS. At each target organ, dual innervation determines activity. For example, SNS stimulation causes the heart rate to increase, whereas PNS stimulation causes the heart rate to decrease.

Responses that the brain controls without the need for conscious thought.

A drug that is considered medically therapeutic. Often medication and drug names are used interchangeably.

An infection caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that is difficult to treat because it exhibits resistance to nearly all available antibiotics.

Consist of the somatic nervous system that stimulates voluntary movement of muscles, and the autonomic nervous system that controls involuntary responses.

An antibiotic that targets only specific subsets of bacterial pathogens.

Cells that carry electrical impulses to the synapse of a target organ.

Opioid naïve refers to a client who has either never had an opioid or who has not received repeated opioid dosing for a 2 to 3 week period.

This is a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a decrease in the drug’s effect over time.  It is a known pharmacologic effect of opioids.

Opioid withdrawal occurs when an opioid is discontinued abruptly. Withdrawal symptoms last for a few days and include nausea, anxiety, restlessness, diaphoresis, tachycardia and drug craving.

Includes nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Associated with the “rest and digest” response. Stimulation of PNS causes decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure via vasodilation, bronchial constriction, and stimulates intestinal motility, salivation, and relaxation of the bladder.

An organism causing disease to its host.

The study of how drugs act at target sites of action in the body.

physiologic dependence is a physical condition caused by chronic use of a tolerance-forming drug, in which withdrawal symptoms are produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug and / or administration of an antagonist. This can occur with any mu-opioids, GABA agonists or positive allosteric modulators of GABA-a or GABA-b.

All preganglionic neurons (in the SNS and PNS) release acetylcholine (ACh).

A characteristic of bacteria demonstrating lack of effective treatment by an antibiotic when a sensitivity analysis is performed.

A test performed in addition to a culture in order to select an effective antibiotic to treat the microorganism.

Sense the environment and conduct signals to the brain that become a conscious perception of that stimulus.

The effects of a drug, other than the desired effect, sometimes in an organ other than the target organ.

Causes contraction of skeletal muscles; associated with voluntary responses.

steady state is when the rate of drug availability and elimination equal one another.

A secondary infection in a patient having a preexisting infection. C diff and yeast infections as a result of antibiotic therapy are examples of superinfections.

Cells found within the lining of the stomach that secrete mucus as a protective coating.

Associated with the “fight or flight response.” Stimulation causes the main effects of increased heart rate, increased blood pressure via the constriction of blood vessels, and bronchodilation.

The connection between the neuron and its target cell.

Concurrent drug administration producing a synergistic interaction that is better than the efficacy of either drug alone. An example of synergistic drug combinations is trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim).

Time dependency occurs when greater therapeutic effects are seen with lower blood levels over a longer period of time.

This is a to the analgesic effects of opioids is relatively uncommon.

total daily dose is the 24 hour total of a drug that is taken for regular and breakthrough doses.

An infection caused by Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that is difficult to treat because it exhibits resistance to nearly all available antibiotics.

hypersecretory condition of the hormone gastrin due to a tumour of the pancreas or duodenum. Gastrin is the hormonal signal for increasing hydrochloric acid, so when with an increase in acid it overcomes protective defences, leading to multiple gastric and duodenal ulcers. Treatment is aggressive use of acid suppression drugs (Adams et al, 2018).