Applied pharmacology : an introduction to pathophysiology and drug management for nurses and healthcare professionals / Sylvia Prosser ... [et al.].

Includes index.

1. introduction to the nature and causation of disease:- The place of the biomedical sciences in nursing practice; The notions of illness and disease; Nature and causation of disease-- 2. Introduction to pharmacology:- Meaning of \'drug\' and \'medicine\'; Categories of drugs defined by various sources; Formulation of drugs for administration; Placebo; How the body deals with drugs and how drugs affect the body--3. Classes of drugs:- Introduction-- Adrenocortiscosteroids--Anaesthetics--Analgesics-- Anti-inflammatory drugs-- Antiarrhythmic drugs-- Antibiotics-- Anticonvulsants-- Antihypertensives-- Anxiolytics-- Bronchodilators-- Diuretics-- Enzyme blockers and agonists-- Histamine and antihistamines-- Hormones-- Hypnotics-- Immunosuppressives--Muscle relaxants-- Psychotropic and psychoactive drugs--Drugs that influence the autonomic nervous system-- Vitamins and minerals-- 4. Legal aspects of drug administration:- Introduction-- Differences between law, ethics and morals--Drugs and the midwife--Drug trials-- 5. Drugs and immunological disorders:- Introduction-- Infection--Vaccines--serums and other immunising agents--Infectious disorders--Systemic autoimmune disease--6. Drugs and neoplastic disorders:- Introduction--Carcinogenesis--Investigation of cancer--Cytotoxic regimes in selected cancers--Cancers of the reproductive system--Blood and lymphoid cancers--Respiratory system cancer--Gastrointestinal tract cancers--7. Drug and psychological disorders:- Introduction--Disorders of mood--Disorders of thinking--Drugs used to change behaviour related to eating--Mind-altering drugs and substance abuse-- 8. Drugs and neurological disorders:- Introduction--Specific disorders of the central nervous system--Neurodegenerative diseases of the specialised tissues of the nervous system--Demyelinating diseases--Neuromuscular junction disorder--Abnormal electrical brain activity--Changes in cerebral blood flow--Sleep disorders--9. Drugs and head and neck disorders:- Introduction--Administration of drugs to the eye--Disorders of the eye--Disorders of the ear--Disorders of the nose and throat--\'over-the-counter\' drugs-- 10. Drugs and endocrine disorders:- Introduction--The hypothalamic-pituitary system--Disorders of the anterior pituitary gland--Disorders of the posterior pituitary gland--Discrete endocrine glands--The thyroid gland--The parathyroid glands--The adrenal glands--Pancreatic endocrine tissue--11. Drugs and respiratory disorders:- Introduction--Common manifestation s of respiratory disease and their treatments--Drug administration--Respiratory disorders--Inflammatory and infective conditions of the respiratory tract-- 12. Drugs and cardiovascular disorders:- Introduction--Deficiency in the blood supply tothe myocardium--Disturbances in cardiac rhythm and conduction--Cardiac failure--Inflammatory diseases of the heart--Valvular heart disease--Arterial disorders--Venous disorders--Erythocyte disorders--Platelet (coagulation) disorders--Leucocyte disorders--13. Drugs and musculoskeletal disorders:- Introduction--Diseases of the joint--Bone disorders--Diseases of skeletal muscle-- 14. Drugs and gastrointestinal disorders:- Introduction-- Glossary of terms--Symptoms linked with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract--Common disorders of the gastrointestinal tracrt--Common disorders caused by infection--Hepatic disorders--Biliary disorders--Pancreatic disorders-- 15. Drugs and urological disorders:- Introduction-- structure and function of the kidney--Disorders of water homeostasis--Renal disorders--Urinary tract disorders--Micturition disorders-- 16. Drugs and reproductive disorders:- Introduction--Sex steroids--Congenital disorders--Developmental disorders--Disorders of the female reproductive system--Inflammatory disorders-- Infectious disorders--Contraception, abortion and labour--Male disorders-- 17. Drugs and dermatological disorders:- Introduction--Disorders of the skin--Infection and infective disorders--Inflammation and inflammatory disorders-- 18. Pharmacological management of pain:- Introduction--Theory of pain--Age and pain management--Categories of drugs used in the management of pain--Methods of delivery of analgesics--Good pain relief practice--19. Pharmacological management of medical emergencies:- Introduction--Cardiorespiratory arrest--Treatment of anaphylactic shock--Pharmacological treatment of poisoning.

The authors present pharmacological material through the medium of pathophysiology. Categorized into the systems of the body, each chapter focuses on the major diseases affecting that system and the appropriate drug therapy for each condition.