Morphine
Morphine: opioid analgesic; mu and kappa receptor agonist; increase intracellular Ca2+ -> increased K+ conductance -> hyperpolarisation of excitable cell membranes -> decrease in pre & post synaptic responses; reversed by naloxone
N-acetylcysteine
N-acetylcysteine (NAC): glutathione supplementation ? protects the liver by maintaining and restoring glutathione levels or by acting as an alternate substrate for conjugation with -> detoxification of reactive metabolites.
Naloxone
Naloxone: opioid receptor antagonist; competitive antagonism at mu, kappa and delta receptors -> prevention of binding to endogenous and exogenous opiate receptors.
Noradrenaline
Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) hypotension refractory to fluid resuscitation (primarily distributive shock such as septic shock, neurogenic shock, post-bypass vasoplegia and drug-induced)
NSAIDs
NSAIDS: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; non-selective COX inhibitors
Octreotide
Octreotide: somatostatin analogue; reduces portal hypertension; antidote to sulfonylureas; reduces GI secretions
Omeprazole
Omeprazole: proton pump inhibitor; inhibits Na-H+ exchanger in parietal cell membrane
Opioids
An opioid is any psychoactive chemical that resembles opiates in their pharmacological effects by binding opioid receptors. They may be endogenous or exogenous compounds, and may be naturally occurring or synthetic
Paracetamol
Paracetamol (acetaminophen): simple analgesic and antipyretic - not an NSAID as it lacks significant anti-inflammatory effects
Phenylephrine
Phenylephrine: synthetic alpha 1 adrenoreceptor agonist
Physostigmine
Physostigmine: anticholinesterase; inhibition of anticholinesterase -> increase in cholinergic tone
Quorum sensing
Quorum sensing is the capacity of micro-organisms to detect extracellular, small-molecule signals and to alter gene expression in response to microbial population densities