Pharmacology: Drug Interactions & Safety

What is the specific antidote used to treat an overdose of acetaminophen (paracetamol)?

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

Which medication is the primary reversal agent for opioid-induced respiratory depression?

Naloxone

What is the pharmacological antidote for benzodiazepine toxicity?

Flumazenil

What does the term 'Narrow Therapeutic Index' (NTI) imply about a drug's safety profile?

There is a small difference between the drug's effective dose and its toxic dose.

How does grapefruit juice typically interact with drugs metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme?

It inhibits the enzyme, leading to increased plasma concentrations of the drug.

Which laboratory value is most commonly used to monitor the therapeutic effect and safety of Warfarin?

International Normalized Ratio (INR)

Identify three potent CYP450 enzyme inducers that can decrease the efficacy of other medications.

Rifampin, Phenytoin, and Carbamazepine (also Phenobarbital or St. John's Wort).

List three common CYP450 inhibitors that can increase the risk of drug toxicity.

Valproate, Isoniazid, and Cimetidine (also Ketoconazole or Erythromycin).

Combining an SSRI with which class of antidepressants poses the highest risk for Serotonin Syndrome?

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)

Which two classes of antibiotics are most frequently associated with drug-induced QT prolongation?

Macrolides and Fluoroquinolones