Drug dependence specific drugs

For most drugs, a specific drug concentration must be reached in the blood to maintain a proper therapeutic effect. The initial serum concentration attained by a specific dose is usually dependent on the weight of the patient and the volume of body fluids into which the drug is distributed. This volume is usually a theoretical volume based on the serum concentration and the initial dose. 

When a patient does not have a painful terminal illness, drug dependence must be avoided. Signs of drug dependence include occurrence of withdrawal symptoms (acute abstinence syndrome) when tiie narcotic is discontinued, requests for tiie narcotic at frequent intervals around tiie clock, personality changes if the narcotic is not given immediately, and constant complaints of pain and failure of tiie narcotic to relieve pain. Although these behaviors can have other causes, the nurse should consider drug dependence and discuss the problem with tiie primary health care provider. Specific symptoms of tiie abstinence syndrome are listed in Display 19-3. 

These drugs dilate the pupil (mydriasis), constrict superficial blood vessels of the sclera, and decrease the formation of aqueous humor. Depending on the specific drug and strength, these dru may be used before eye surgery in the treatment of glaucoma, for relief of minor eye irritation, and to dilate the pupil for examination of the eye... 

The expected outcomes of the patient depend on the specific drug, dose, route of administration, and reason for administration of an electrolyte but may include an... 

Gossop, M.R., and Roy, A. Hostility in drug dependent individuals Its relation to specific drugs, and oral or intravenous use. Br J Psychiatry 128 188-193, 1976. 

The incidence of torsades de pointes in the population at large is unknown. The incidence of torsades de pointes associated with specific drugs ranges from less than 1% to as high as 8% to 10%, depending on dose and plasma concentration of the drug and the presence of other risk factors for the arrhythmia. 

The most important application recently developed for synthetic liposomes is as potential drug carriers for controlled release, especially for cancer chemotherapy (7). In general, the success of liposomes as vehicles for the transport of specific drugs will largely depend on their stability under physiological conditions. Unlike the naturally occurring membranes, the synthetic vesicles have very limited stability, and this is a... 

A drug should always be ingested with a cup of water ( 8 oz) to insure easy transit down the esophagus and to provide fluid for disintegration and dissolution. Whether or not the drug should be taken on an empty stomach (e.g., enteric-coated tablets) or with food will depend upon the specific drug as noted above. 

Finally, from the available research into the variety of mechanisms for targetting ophthalmic drugs to specific tissues, means for integrating—both figuratively and literally—combinations of effects are now available [15]. Certainly, the combination of hydrodynamics, retention or sustained release, and diffusional or even active transport can be computed, their influence anticipated, and some specific deficiencies addressed. Nonetheless, many unanticipated interactions may often intrude and still leave the field heavily dependent on empirical assessment. 

Physical dependence A state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug class-specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or administration of an antagonist. 

All five cell lines responded to vincristine, a nonspecific agent that interferes with the cytoskeleton (Figure 7.6). On the other hand, decreases in the mean optophoretic distance of Bcr-Abl positive cell line K-562 with no effect in the other cell lines in the presence of 1 pM Gleevec after 48 h of treatment demonstrate that the drug-dependent optophoretic downshift in mean displacement is specific to the presence of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Conversely, fludarabine, a nucleoside analog was ineffective in causing a decrease in the optophoretic displacement of the K-562 cell line, but showed an effect in the other four cell lines. Activity of Bcr-Abl in the K-562 cell line has been previously shown to overcome the inhibitory effect of fludarabine.17... 

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