Essentials of Medical Pharmacology

Section 1
General Pharmacological Principles
1. Introduction, Routes of Drug Administration 1
2. Pharmacokinetics: Membrane Transport, Absorption and Distribution of Drugs 15
3. Pharmacokinetics: Metabolism and Excretion of Drugs, Kinetics of Elimination 28
4. Pharmacodynamics: Mechanism of Drug Action; Receptor Pharmacology 45
5. Aspects of Pharmacotherapy, Clinical Pharmacology and Drug Development 71
6. Adverse Drug Effects 92
Section 2
Drugs Acting on Autonomic Nervous System
Autonomic Nervous System: General Considerations 103
7. Cholinergic Transmission and Cholinergic Drugs 110
8. Anticholinergic Drugs and Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia 124
9. Adrenergic Transmission and Adrenergic Drugs 136
10. Antiadrenergic Drugs (Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists) and
Drugs for Glaucoma 153
Section 3
Autacoids and Related Drugs
11. Histamine and Antihistaminics 174
12. 5-Hydroxytryptamine, its Antagonists and Drug Therapy of Migraine 185
13. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes (Eicosanoids) and Platelet Activating Factor 197
14. Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs and Antipyretic-Analgesics 209
15. Antirheumatoid and Antigout Drugs 227
Section 4
Respiratory System Drugs
16. Drugs for Cough and Bronchial Asthma 237
Contents
viii ESSENTIALS OF MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Section 5
Hormones and Related Drugs
Introduction 255
17. Anterior Pituitary Hormones 257
18. Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Inhibitors 267
19. Insulin, Oral Antidiabetic Drugs and Glucagon 280
20. Corticosteroids 306
21. Androgens and Related Drugs, Drugs for Erectile Dysfunction 320
22. Estrogens, Progestins and Contraceptives 330
23. Oxytocin and Other Drugs Acting on Uterus 354
24. Hormones and Drugs Affecting Calcium Balance 360
Section 6
Drugs Acting on Peripheral (Somatic)
Nervous System
25. Skeletal Muscle Relaxants 373
26. Local Anaesthetics 386
Section 7
Drugs Acting on Central Nervous System
27. General Anaesthetics 399
28. Ethyl and Methyl Alcohols 415
29. Sedative-Hypnotics 424
30. Antiepileptic Drugs 438
31. Antiparkinsonian Drugs 452
32. Drugs Used in Mental Illness: Antipsychotic and Antimanic Drugs 462
33. Drugs Used in Mental Illness: Antidepressant and Antianxiety Drugs 481
34. Opioid Analgesics and Antagonists 497
35. CNS Stimulants and Cognition Enhancers 515
Section 8
Cardiovascular Drugs
Cardiac Electrophysiological Considerations 521
36. Drugs Affecting Renin-Angiotensin System 524
37. Nitric Oxide and Vasoactive Peptide Signal Molecules 540
contents ix
38. Cardiac Glycosides and Drugs for Heart Failure 556
39. Antiarrhythmic Drugs 570
40. Antianginal and Other Anti-ischaemic Drugs 584
41. Antihypertensive Drugs 604
Section 9
Drugs Acting on Kidney
Relevant Physiology of Urine Formation 621
42. Diuretics 625
43. Antidiuretics 639
Section 10
Drugs Affecting Blood and Blood Formation
44. Haematinics and Erythropoietin 645
45. Drugs Affecting Coagulation, Bleeding and Thrombosis 659
46. Hypolipidaemic Drugs 682
Section 11
Gastrointestinal Drugs
47. Drugs for Peptic Ulcer and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease 695
48. Antiemetic, Prokinetic and Digestant Drugs 709
49. Drugs for Constipation and Diarrhoea 721
Section 12
Antimicrobial Drugs
50. Antimicrobial Drugs: General Considerations 739
51. Sulfonamides, Cotrimoxazole and Quinolones 755
52. Beta-Lactam Antibiotics 766
53. Tetracyclines and Chloramphenicol (Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics) 784
54. Aminoglycoside Antibiotics 793
55. Macrolide, Lincosamide, Glycopeptide and Other Antibacterial Antibiotics;
Urinary Antiseptics 801
56. Antitubercular Drugs 815
57. Antileprotic Drugs 831
x ESSENTIALS OF MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY
58. Antifungal Drugs 838
59. Antiviral Drugs (Non-retroviral) 849
60. Antiviral Drugs (Anti-retrovirus) 860
61. Antimalarial Drugs 873
62. Antiamoebic and Other Antiprotozoal Drugs 893
63. Anthelmintic Drugs 906
Section 13
Chemotherapy of Neoplastic Diseases
64. Anticancer Drugs 915
Section 14
Miscellaneous Drugs
65. Immunosuppressant Drugs 937
66. Drugs Acting on Skin and Mucous Membranes 946
67. Antiseptics, Disinfectants and Ectoparasiticides 957
68. Chelating Agents 964
69. Vitamins 968
70. Vaccines, Antisera and Immuneglobulins 978
71. Drug Interactions 987
Appendices
Appendix 1: Solution to Problem Directed Study 995
Appendix 2: Prescribing in Pregnancy 1017
Appendix 3: Drugs in Breastfeeding 1020
Appendix 4: Drugs and Fixed Dose Combinations Banned in India 1024
Selected References for Further Reading 1033
Index 1037