PHAR 301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Therapeutic Index, Ductus Venosus, Pharmacodynamics

• School: McGill University
• Department: Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Course: PHAR 301
• Professor: Barbara Hales

Document Summary

Lecture 1: introduction / prenatal and pediatric pharmacology. All aspects of drugs and their interactions with living organisms. Drugs encompass all substances with an effect on living cells. Biochemical and physiological effects o o o o that treats a bacterial infection. How long it takes for the drug to have an effect. Need to weight the benefits vs. the risk of using a drug. To use drugs properly, we need to know their: There is a maximum drug concentration and after that there are decreasing concentrations that depend on the elimination rate of the drug. Idiosyncratic targets (metal ions, surfactant proteins, gastrointestinal contents) When a toxic effect is acceptable vs. when it"s not acceptable e. g. a drug to treat cancer that has adverse effects may be more acceptable than one. If there is too little drug, there is no effect. If you give too much drug, there are more serious effects and may even lead to death.