Any discussion of "Medical Emergencies," where assistance in self-administering a "drug" may be involved, must start with an introduction to "Pharmacology."  And any 'introduction' to pharmacology should start with the definition of frequently used terms.

"Drugs," from a pharmaceutical point of view, are substances used in the manufacture of medicine.  Today's colloquial understanding of the term, includes those "recreational substances" that are associated with the less desirable elements of society.  It's an important consideration when questioning a patient, and it will probably create a more comfortable atmosphere  if you refer to "drugs" as medications.

The "dosage (dose)" is the amount of the medication given to the patient, and is determined by the patient's physician after appropriately considering the strength of the drug, and the age, weight, sex, size, and tolerance of the patient.

The "action" of the drug is the desired therapeutic effect expected from the patient.

The "side effects" are any actions other than the desired effects.

The "indications" are the therapeutic uses for any particular medication, and are usually expressed in terms of signs, symptoms, and/or events just prior to the administration of the drug.

The "contraindications" are any 'considerations' that might indicate that the administration of a particular drug would either cause harm to, or have no therapeutic effect in, this patient.

The "route" is the prescribed method for administering the medication.  Routes include:  Intravenous (IV,) Oral (PO,) Sublingual (SL,) Intramuscular (IM,) Intraosseous (IO,) Subcutaneous (SC,) Transcutaneous, Inhalation, and Per rectum (PR.)

The "form" of the medication is the 'vehicle' used to administer the drug.  Forms include:  Tablets and Capsules, Solutions and Suspensions, Creams and Lotions, and Gases.

Each of the preceding terms will be explained in detail in the appropriate section dealing with the individual medical emergency.

Every drug can be classified into a group of 'drugs,' and within that group (with it's associated 'chemical name,) usually has two names (a "generic" name and a "brand" name) associated with it.  The chemical name of any drug group is usually a long string of (normally) unrecognizable, un-pronounceable, letters and numbers, which describes in painful detail the exact composition of the medication.  For the sake of simplification, some chemical names have been truncated to include only the 'base' drug in the compound.  The chemical names of drugs are of little interest to us at this level.  The generic name of a drug is the name that describes the drug's chemical group, while the brand (trade) name is the name under which a particular drug company markets the generic drug.  Nitroglycerin (1,2,3-Propanetriol trinitrate), for example, is part of a group of "nitrates," some of which are administered sublingually and marketed under the names "Nitrogard" or "Nitrostat."  The 'generic' name for this group of nitrates is "Nitroglycerin" and the one of the brand names for nitroglycerin is "Nitrostat."  A complete list of generic drugs approved for use in the United States can be found in a book called the "United States Pharmacopoeia" (farm-a-cope-ee-uh.)

As an EMT-B you may be charged with the responsibility for assisting a patient in self-administering a physician prescribed medication.  Although it will be discussed again, in each of the "Medical Emergency" sections that follow, the 'concept' is important enough to warrant mentioning the "general steps" involved in assisting a patient with their medication, now, then reiterating the steps associated with each individual medication, later.  The repetition will serve to remind the reader of its importance and help solidify the process in the minds of the students.  The "general steps" include:

1. Obtain medical control.  Either 'on-line' or 'off-line.'

2. Verify the medication and the patient to which the medication is prescribed.

3. Verify the form, dose, and route that have been prescribed for this medication.

4. Check the expiration date and general appearance of the medication.

5. Reassess the patient's vital signs, before and after the administration of any medication.

6. Document your actions (remember "what, where, when, why, and how.)  Document the patient's response (including any side effects) to the medication.

A thorough understanding of the foregoing will serve to increase your knowledge base and augment your vocabulary to a point where you can communicate competently with other members of the team when dealing with the administration of medication.  We do not expect you to become pharmacists, but we would like you to understand some of the terminology and concepts associated with prescription drugs and their administration.  These 'concepts' and the 'increased knowledge base' will add to your sense of confidence, and consequently the level of professionalism that you present to the generally public and your patient.