Respiratory Tag's Archives

Synopsis of Important Principles
Critical illnesses

  1. Critical illnesses are often associated with circulatory, respiratory, hepatic and/or renal dys­function that may alter the pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics of drugs.
  2. Decisions about routes of administration and doses of drugs used during medical emergen­cies must consider the physiological status of the patient, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the particular drug, and how the two interact.
  3. Adverse drug reactions and interactions are more likely in critically ill patients due to the effect of the disease on drug kinetics, the decreased toxic-therapeutic ratio due to severe under­lying illness, and the large number of medications that such patients receive. Adverse reactions to drugs should be considered when unexplained deterioration or failure to respond to therapy are encountered.

Synopsis of Important Principles
anaesthesia prevention of pain during surgery

  1. The main aim of anaesthesia is the prevention of pain during surgery and at other times.
  2. Anaesthesia involves a balanced approach, in which the individual patient’s psyche and pathophysiology are taken into account and drugs are used to modify and control any aspect as required.
  3. The decision to use a particular drug or technique must be made after careful consideration of the pathophysiological features of the individual case and how these may affect the phar­macokinetic handling and tissue response to the drugs available.
  4. Any associated disease or pathophysiological abnormality should wherever possible be treated or corrected before operation, and potentially dangerous physiological disturbances avoided during and after anaesthesia.
  5. Anaesthetic drugs are relatively non-toxic but there are some important effects. Halothane is occasionally associated with hepatitis and methoxyflurane with kidney damage. Malignant hyperpyrexia, the aetiology of which is uncertain, is a rare but often fatal condition which can be triggered off by several anaesthetic drugs in genetically susceptible individuals.

AmiodaroneAmiodarone is generic drug name for Cordarone , Pacerone . It is prescribed for treating Abnormal Heart Rhythms.

General Information

  • Amiodarone works by decreasing the sensitivity of heart tissue to nervous impulses within the heart. It should be prescribed only in situations where the abnormal rhythm is so severe as to be life-threatening and does not respond to other drug treatments.
  • It has not been proven that people taking this drug will live longer than those with similar conditions who do not take it.
  • Amiodarone may exert its effects 2-5 days after you start taking it, but often takes 1-3 weeks to affect your heart.
  • Amiodarone’s antiarrhythmic effects can last for weeks or months after you stop taking it.

How does the drug Interact ?