Pathophysiology Definitions and Key Terms
Absorption
- gets the drug into the bloodstream via dermal layers, mouth, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, or lining of stomach.
Adverse Reactions
- Undesirable side effects of a drug
Aerosol
- Liquid, powder, or foam deposited in a thin layer of the skin by air pressure.
American Hospital Formulary Service
- Contains concise information that is arranged according to drug classifications.
Ampule
- Glass container containing a drug, the bottle must be broken at the neck to retrieve the medication.
Anaphylactic Reaction
- Life threatening reaction resulting in respiratory distress, sudden severe bronchospasms and CV collapse.
Antagonist
- Drug that prevents receptor stimulation. Blocks receptors and therefore blocking action of toxic drugs.
Apothecary System
- System for measuring drug dosages. Gradually being replaced by metric. Chemical Name
- The 1st name given to any drug. Gives the exact description of the chemical structure of the drug.
Compendium of Drug Therapy
- Includes pictures of drugs and phone numbers of drug companies and poison control centers.
Contraindications
- reasons NOT to administer meds
Controlled Substances Act
- Regulates manufacture and distribution of drugs whose use may result in dependency.
Cumulative Effect
- the effect of multiple doses of a drug interacting with each other
Distribution
- Moves drug from bloodstream into the tissues and fluids of the body
Drug
- Any substance taken into the body to affect changes to 1 or more body functions, often to prevent or treat a condition.
Drug Action
- Cellular changed effected by a drug
Drug Allergy
- occurs in a person who has been exposed to the drug and developed antibodies. Drug Effect
- Degree of a drug's physiologic change
Drug Enforcement Administration
- Oversees control of dangerous drugs. Enforces drug laws. Drug Tolerance
- when body becomes accustomed to a drug over a period of time. Results in decreased effect of same dosage.
Drug Toxicity
- results from overdosage, ingestion of a drug intended for external use or buildup of the drug in blood due to impaired metabolism.
Elixir
- Drug dissolved in alcohol and added flavoring. DONT USE in pts with alcoholism or diabetes. Emulsion
- Drug combined with water and oi. Must be thoroughly shaken to disperse meds evenly Enteric-Coated Tablet
- Drug coated to withstand stomach acidity and dissolve in the intestines. Never to be crushed or broken.
Excretion
- Eliminates the waste products of drug metabolism from the body
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
- Required that the safety of a drug must be proven before it could be distributed to the public.
Federal Trade Commission
- Regulates drug advertising
Fight or Flight
- The reaction activated by the sympathetic nervous system as a response to external life threatening stimuli
Fluid Extract
- Alcohol solution of a drug from vegitable source. Most concentrated of all fluid preperations. Food and Drug Administration
- reviews drug applications and petitions for food additives.
Inspects factories and insures labeling on cosmetics.
Generic Name
- Often related to the chemical name but completely independent of the

manufacturer' nonproprietary designation of the drug
Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914
- 1st legislation designed to s top drug addiction. Established food controls import and sale of opium.
Hypersensitivity
- AKA drug allergy. Body must build this response. The 1st exposure may or may not indicate that a problem is developing.
Idiosycratic Reactions
- Abnormal reaction to drug peculiar to a certain patient. Not technically an allergy.
Indications
- reasons for the administration of drugs
Inhalation
- administration of drugs into the lungs via water vapor, gases or drug inspiration
Intramuscular
- administration of drugs via injection into muscle
Intraosseous
- administration of drugs directly into the bone. OUCH.
Intravenous
- administration of drugs via injection