Key Terms

anticholinergic effects

common effects such as dry mouth, dry eyes, blurred vision, urinary retention, constipation, and cognitive dysfunction resulting from the blockade of cholinergic receptors

antidiarrheals

medications used to treat and manage diarrhea

antiemetics

medications that prevent or treat nausea and vomiting

chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ)

an area of neural receptors on the floor of the fourth ventricle of the brain within the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata that communicates with the vomiting center for emesis

extrapyramidal symptoms

dysfunctional involuntary movements such as akathisia (restlessness and/or tapping or jiggling of fingers or legs), dystonia (painful involuntary muscle contractions), Parkinsonism (symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease such as tremors, difficulty thinking and/or speaking, or stiff facial muscles), and tardive dyskinesia (involuntary facial movements such as eye blinking, sticking out tongue, and/or chewing or sucking motion)

laxatives

medications used to treat constipation

phenothiazines

a group of medications with antagonistic dopamine used as an antipsychotic or antiemetic

stool softeners

medications used to soften stools and ease defecation

vomiting center

an area in the central medulla of the brain innervating the vagus nerve and spinal motor neurons in conjunction with the CTZ to cause vomiting