ADR Basics - Defining Dangers
- ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction): Harmful, unintended response to normal drug doses.
- ADE (Adverse Drug Event): Injury from drug-related medical intervention (includes errors).
- Side Effect: Known, unavoidable pharmacological effect at therapeutic doses.
Rawlins & Thompson Classification:
| Type | Name (📌 Mnemonic) | Features | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Augmented | Dose-dependent, predictable, common | Insulin hypoglycemia |
| B | Bizarre | Non-dose-dependent, unpredictable, rare | Penicillin allergy |
| C | Chronic | Dose & time-related (long-term) | Analgesic nephropathy |
| D | Delayed (DoTS) | Time-related; Teratogenic, Carcinogenic | DES teratogenicity |
| E | End-of-use | Withdrawal on stopping | Opioid withdrawal |
| F | Failure | Unexpected therapy failure (e.g., resistance) | OC failure (inducers) |
PK Puzzles - Drug Journey Jams
PK interactions alter ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion), changing drug levels & effects.
- Absorption:
- Chelation: Tetracycline + Antacids (Ca²⁺) → ↓ absorption.
- pH: Ketoconazole + PPIs → ↓ absorption.
- Distribution:
- Protein displacement: Warfarin + NSAIDs → ↑ free warfarin, ↑ bleeding.
- Metabolism (CYP450):
- Inducers (↓ drug effect): 📌 CRAP GPS (Carbamazepine, Rifampicin, Phenytoin, etc.)
- Inhibitors (↑ drug effect/toxicity): 📌 SICKFACES.COM (Valproate, Isoniazid, Cimetidine, Ketoconazole, Erythromycin, etc.), Grapefruit juice.
- Example Interactions:
Enzyme Interacting Drug 1 Interacting Drug 2 Outcome CYP3A4 Grapefruit Juice Simvastatin ↑ Simvastatin, myopathy risk CYP2C9 Rifampicin Warfarin ↓ Warfarin, clotting risk
- Excretion:
- Renal Secretion: Probenecid + Penicillin → ↑ Penicillin.
- Urine pH: NaHCO₃ → ↑ salicylate excretion.
⭐ Grapefruit juice (CYP3A4 inhibitor) significantly ↑ levels of statins, CCBs.
PD Predicaments - Receptor Reactions
Pharmacodynamic (PD) interactions: Drugs modify effects of one another directly at receptor or physiological target sites.
- Synergism: Combined effect $1+1 > 2$.
- e.g., TMP-SMX (enhanced antimicrobial effect).
- Antagonism: Combined effect $1+1 < 2$.
- Receptor: Naloxone + Morphine (opioid reversal).
- Physiological: Adrenaline + Histamine (opposing actions).
- Additive: Combined effect $1+1 = 2$.
- e.g., Aspirin + Paracetamol (analgesia).

Key PD Interactions:
| Drug A | Drug B | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Warfarin | Aspirin | ↑ Bleeding risk |
| β-blockers | Verapamil | ↑ Bradycardia, Heart Failure (HF) |
| Sildenafil | Nitrates | Severe ↓Blood Pressure (BP) |
| ACEI | K⁺-sparing diuretic | ↑ Serum K⁺ (Hyperkalemia) |
Risk & Rescue - ADR Avoidance
- Patient Risk Factors:
- Extremes of age (elderly, neonates)
- Renal or hepatic dysfunction
- Genetic factors (e.g., G6PD deficiency)
- Prior allergy history
- Drug Risk Factors:
- Polypharmacy: ≥5 drugs
- Narrow Therapeutic Index (NTI) drugs (e.g., warfarin, digoxin)
- Newly marketed drugs
- Complex dosing schedules
- 📌 ADR Management (ABCDE): Assess, Blame drug, Cease drug, Diminish effects, Exchange drug.
⭐ The Beers Criteria is crucial for identifying potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly, reducing ADR risk.
High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways
- Type A ADRs: Dose-dependent, predictable, from known pharmacology (e.g., bleeding with anticoagulants).
- Type B ADRs: Idiosyncratic, unpredictable, often immune-mediated, not dose-related (e.g., anaphylaxis).
- CYP450 enzymes: Inducers (rifampicin) ↓ drug effect; inhibitors (ketoconazole) ↑ drug toxicity.
- PK interactions alter drug ADME; PD interactions affect drug action at target sites.
- Critical interactions: Serotonin syndrome (SSRIs + MAOIs), Malignant hyperthermia (halothane + succinylcholine).
- Grapefruit juice: Potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, increases oral drug bioavailability and toxicity_._
Continue reading on Oncourse
Sign up for free to access the full lesson, plus unlimited questions, flashcards, AI-powered notes, and more.
CONTINUE READING — FREEor get the app