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Pharmacology Flashcards

6 cards from real COMLEX-USA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Pharmacology flashcards as text

  1. Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) lower LDL cholesterol primarily by:

    Answer: Upregulating hepatic LDL receptors

    By inhibiting hepatic cholesterol synthesis, statins upregulate LDL receptors on hepatocytes, increasing clearance of LDL from plasma.

  2. Which antiepileptic drug works by blocking sodium channels and is a first-line treatment for partial and generalized tonic-clonic seizures?

    Answer: Phenytoin

    Phenytoin stabilizes the inactive state of voltage-gated Na+ channels, reducing neuronal excitability and preventing seizure propagation.

  3. The antidote for acetaminophen overdose, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), works by:

    Answer: Replenishing glutathione stores

    NAC serves as a glutathione precursor, replenishing hepatic glutathione stores to detoxify the toxic NAPQI metabolite of acetaminophen.

  4. Which receptor does naloxone antagonize to reverse opioid overdose?

    Answer: Mu (μ) receptor primarily

    Naloxone is a competitive antagonist primarily at mu (μ) opioid receptors, reversing respiratory depression, sedation, and miosis of opioid overdose.

  5. Lithium toxicity is increased by which commonly prescribed drug class due to reduced renal clearance?

    Answer: NSAIDs

    NSAIDs reduce prostaglandin-mediated renal blood flow, decreasing lithium excretion and raising serum lithium levels into the toxic range.

  6. Which antimalarial drug causes hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency?

    Answer: Primaquine

    Primaquine generates oxidative stress that overwhelms G6PD-deficient RBCs, leading to hemolysis; always screen for G6PD before prescribing.