Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Pharmacology for Nurses

Key Terms

Pharmacology for NursesKey Terms

Key Terms

acute pain
pain that is sudden in onset and is expected to last less than 1 month
addiction
a persistent, compulsive dependence on a substance or behavior despite known harm
antipyretics
medications used to treat fever
chronic pain
pain persisting longer than 3 months
conduction
the process of converting chemical signals into electrical signals to be carried by nerves
cyclooxygenase
an enzyme responsible for the production of several inflammatory cytokines, including prostaglandins
cytochrome P450 2D6
a family of oxidative enzymes responsible for metabolizing many different drugs
cytokines
proteins that regulate inflammation in immune responses
hepatotoxicity
injury to the liver caused by many factors, such as a drug, environmental toxins, or radioactive exposure
modulation
the process of enhancing or inhibiting a painful signal before it reaches the brain
neuropathic pain
pain that originates in the peripheral or central nervous system
nociception
the processing of noxious stimuli by both the peripheral and central nervous system
nociceptive pain
pain that occurs because of tissue injury
nociceptors
specialized nerves that respond to painful stimuli
nonopioid analgesic
any analgesic that does not activate the opioid receptors to relieve pain
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
a classification of drugs that reduce inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase
opioid agonists
drugs that activate opioid receptors
opioid use disorder
a persistent, compulsive dependence on opioids
pain
an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
pain threshold
the point at which a stimulus is perceived as painful
perception
the point at which the brain receives a painful signal
referred pain
deep visceral pain that causes pain elsewhere in the body (e.g., pancreatic injury that causes back pain, myocardial infarction that causes jaw and shoulder pain)
Reye’s syndrome
a disorder characterized by liver and brain toxicity culminating in life-threatening neurologic symptoms, seen most often in the setting of aspirin therapy in children with a viral illness
substance P
a neurotransmitter that enhances pain perception
tolerance
physiologic adaptation to the effect of a drug after repeated exposure
transduction
the initial activation of nociceptors
transmission
the process of carrying a painful signal from the peripheral nervous system to the brain
withdrawal
physiologic effects that occur after discontinuation of a drug that has been used for a prolonged period
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/pharmacology/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/pharmacology/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.