1. Why are drugs classified in the categories they are?
Drugs are classified by the area the drug effects or its particular effect on the body. For example, if an individual has a headache they typically use one of two things, either a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or a vasodilator. Ibuprofen is a NSAID and is used to treat inflammation, which could be a cause of a headache. Aspirin, however, is a vasodilator and is used to open the blood vessels to allow more blood and oxygen to get to the brain. 2. Give a description of the actions of drugs in each category.
Cardiac Medications – These drugs are used to stabilize the heartbeat or used to lower and control high blood pressure.
Anticoagulant, Antiplatelet, and Thrombolytic Medications – These drugs are used to thin the blood apart to break up and prevent blood clots.
Analgesic Medications – These drugs are used as pain relievers and most are over-the-counter drugs.
Antihistamines and Endocrine Medications – Antihistamines are used to block the immune system response in allergic reactions, such as hives and swelling. Endocrine drugs include insulin, which lowers blood sugar, or glucagon, which raises blood sugar.
CNS Medications – These medications are used to control problems with the brain, generally mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or other mental disorders.
Anti-Infective Agents – These medications are known as antibiotics, which are used to fight infections caused by bacteria. Viruses cannot be combated with these drugs. 3. What is chemotherapy and which diseases are treated this way?
The textbook definition of chemotherapy is a combination of two or more drugs used to combat a disease, usually used to treat cancer patients. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells by using a combination of drugs that are toxic to the cancer cells of the specific type of cancer the patient has. Chemotherapy is very potent and can even be harmful to the professional administering the drugs. 4. Give examples of how contrast media are used to produce an image.
Contrast medias are used to light up specific organs while a particular scan is being done, whether it be a CT, MRI, etc. An image is produced on a radiograph when the content of iodine in the patient’s blood prevents the penetration of the photons emitted by x-rays. Typically, iodine is the main component of contrasting medias. 5. Compare ionic and non-ionic contrast media.
Ionic contrast media uses iodine to essentially highlight organs or organ systems in the body by iodine attaching itself to the water molecules in the body, thus producing positive cations. Non-ionic means that no positive cations are produced, therefore the balance of blood plasma is not disrupted because the immune system does not recognize it as a foreign matter.