Advanced EMT Pharmacology

[Craw]

Hey guys i just started my Emt Advanced class and im having a tough time reading and understanding the pharmacology chapter. We are using the book Advanced Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured. I was hoping someone could give me some tips to gain a better understanding of the chapter.

 

[bstone]

What are you particularly confused about?

 

[Craw]

It's mainly Drug classification, and how they effect the nervous system I think cause I don't understand the first half of the chapter the rest is not falling into place.

 

[JPINFV]

How well do you understand the nervous system in regards of anatomy and physiology?

 

[Craw]

Not to well we didn't go over it in basic and we just had an overview of anatomy and physiology.

 

[Nervegas]

What about it specifcally? Are you talking about parasympathomimetic/sympathomimetic vs parasympatholytic/sympatholytic? Alpha/Beta drugs? Nicotinic vs Muscarinic?

 

[18G]

Understanding the autonomic nervous system will make learning this stuff multiple times easier.

If you ask specific questions we will answer and help ya out as much as we can.

 

[FlamingFirefox]

unfortunately,anatomy and physiology in Emt class is practically non-existent. when i did emt,we finished the anatomy chapter in 10 min.:blink:

 

[Craw]

Mainly parasympathomimetic/sympathomimetic vs parasympatholytic/sympatholytic. I think one of my problems is that all the words are overwhelming. I'm so stressed out over it I can't even think of any questions.

 

[Craw]

Also can yall explain the antagonist and the agonists.

 

[JPINFV]

Antagonist: Blocks receptor
Agonist: Activates receptor.

 

[jgaddis82]

I am studying out of the exact same book. PM me with questions and I will help S much as I can. I made a 96 on the chapter test and have an AAS IN pharmaceutical technology. Drugs are one thing I'm good at.

 

[Nervegas]

Mainly parasympathomimetic/sympathomimetic vs parasympatholytic/sympatholytic. I think one of my problems is that all the words are overwhelming. I'm so stressed out over it I can't even think of any questions.

Mimetic = Mimics, AKA agonist on the receptor site.
Lytic = Inhibits, AKA antagonist on the receptor site.


The way I remembered them for medic school was this: parasympathetic = brake pedal (Feed/breed, slows the system down), sympathetic = gas pedal(Fight or Flight, speeds the system up).

So, in a very simple model,

parasympathomimetic = Pushes the brake.
sympathomimetic = Pushes the gas.
parasympatholytic = Takes your foot off the brake.
sympatholytic = Takes your foot off the gas.


Obviously the exact pharmacodynamics and nervous system are more complex than that, but this should help you understand them a little better.