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Question: Write about thePrinciples of Drug Actions for Health. Answer: Introduction The drug chosen for the purposes of this task is atropine which is a member of the class anticholinergic. The chemical name is Tropine topate/DI-Hyoscyamine/DI-Tropyltropate and is an alkaloid derived from Atropa belladonna but can as well be found in other plants. Its generic name is Atropine sulfate while the trade name is Isopto Atropine or Atropa. Atropine lowers the vagal tone hence resulting in a positive chronotropic effect. It also increases the conduction of AV. Atropine bronchodilates through the mechanism of parasympatholytic (Bhattacharya, 2012). It acts as a competitive antagonist at muscarinic receptors. All these actions of atropine make it sufficiently relevant to the topic Principles of Drug Actions for Professional Health Practice. The above actions are some of the medical conditions that a paramedic may be asked to attend to before a patient is taken for further medical health care in the hospital(Brophy, 2010). Source Atropine is found naturally in plants which are members of the Solanaceae family. It is commonly found in Datura innoxia, D. stramonium, D. metel besides Atropa belladonna which is a poisonous nightshade plant in addition to hysocyamine. Atropa belladonna is a plant characterized by brown-purple flowers and whose berries change from red to purple with the progress of summer. Additional sources of the plant are inclusive of the members of Hyoscyamus and Brugmansia genera(Papich, 2009). The plant should not be confused with Solanum dulcamara as well has flowers containing purple petals and with a yellow center. Solanum dulcamara is less toxic woody bittersweet or nightshade. Synthetically, the drug can be obtained by the reaction of tropic acid with tropine and the reaction should be done in the presence of hydrochloric acid. Body system(s) upon which it works Atropine works on the various organs of the body including heart, eyes and secretory glands. It serves as a cycloplegic that temporarily disrupts the accommodation reflex as well as a mydriatic that dilates the pupil of the eye. It is therefore used in lowering the progression of myopia, especially in children. Atropine injections are used in the treatment of bradycardia i.e. heart rate that is less than 60 beats per minute(Coyne, 2015). It is as well used in the prevention of low heart rate of children during intubation. It is used in the treatment of third-degree heart block and second-degree heart break. In the salivary and mucus glands, the drug is used in inhibiting seating through the sympathetic nervous system(Papich, 2009). This is important in the treatment of hyperhidrosis thus prevention of death rattle in dying patients. Mechanism of action Atropine has two main modes of actions: therapeutic action and activity of the central nervous system(Schwartz-Bloom, 2014). Therapeutic action is where there is inhibition of the glands and the smooth cells by the postganglionic cholinergic nerves. Atropine acts by counter the activities that are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. It is able to successfully achieve this due to its competitive nature and the reversibility of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. It is a competitive antagonist of the receptor types M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 thereby classified as an anticholinergic drug. In the cardiac system, atropine works as muscarinic acetyl cholinergic antagonist who is non-selective and increases the conduction via the atrioventricular node and firing of the Sino-atrial node of the heart. It reduces the secretions of the bronchus as well as blocking the sites of acetylcholine receptors. Atropine works by inhibiting the activities of acetylcholine(Gyermek, 2010). When introduced to the cells of the heart, atropine blocks the cells from activation by acetylcholine which is released from the vagus nerve. In this regard, atropine helps in inhibiting the effects of overstimulation of vagus thereby counteracting abnormal slow heart rate. For the case of the eye, atropine blocks the contraction of the circular sphincter muscles of the pupil by introducing mydriasis which is a stimulation by the release of acetylcholine. In so doing it allows the radial dilator muscles of the pupil to contract and distend. Through the introduction of cycloplegia, atropine makes the ciliary muscles powerless and functionless. This move lowers accommodation for allowing for accuracy in refraction among children hence assists in relieving pain which is usually associated with iridocyclitis(Young, 2014). Route of administration and drug schedule The most common routes of administration of atropine include oral, injection, ophthalmic and endotracheal administrations. Endotracheal administration is usually associated with blood drug concentrations which are lower than IV administration. This administration route is usually discouraged since it is not reliable. Oral administration is usually administered 30 minutes before a meal. Injectable administration is done either intraosseously, intravenously, subcutaneously or intramuscularly(Brophy, 2010). Care should be taken when the administration is done subcutaneously so as to ensure the injection is not dome intradermally. Intramuscular administration should be done only be trained and qualified personnel that have recognition in the treatment of nerve agent. Target population for atropine The target population of this drug is the children. It is the children that experience major challenges associated with progressive myopia. The drug has proved effective in inhibiting myopia progression hence very relevant to this demographic composition. Effectiveness of Atropine Atropine has proved effective when it comes to intervening myopia. Study and research have revealed that atropine inhibits the effects of lens-deprived and induced myopia in animals. A study dubbed ATOM study revealed that atropine is an effective drug in the treatment of progression of myopia among children in the Asian community(Bhattacharya, 2012). From the study which was conducted in two years, it was revealed that up to 75% of myopic progression reduction was related to atropine and 1% of these cases did not report any concerning side effects. This is the treatment that is prescribed for almost half of the children of Taiwan who are suffering from progressive myopia. Conclusion Atropine is a very effective drug that is useful in the treatment of the various diseases and complications of the conditions of the body. The drug is important to the various organs of the body including the eyes, heart and the nervous system. It should be considered as a treatment option for children who have a high prevalence rate of myopia any part of the globe. References Beck, R. K. (2014). Drug Reference for EMS Providers. London: Cengage Learning. Bhattacharya. (2012). Pharmacology, 2/e. Toronto: Elsevier India. Brophy, K. M. (2010). Clinical Drug Therapy for Canadian Practice. New Delhi: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Coyne, C. (2015). Comparative Diagnostic Pharmacology: Clinical and Research Applications in Living-System Models. Mississipi: John Wiley Sons. Gyermek, L. (2010). Pharmacology of Antimuscarinic Agents. London: CRC Press. Papich, M. G. (2009). Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. New York: John Wiley Sons. Schwartz-Bloom, R. D. (2014). Pharmacology: Drug Actions and Reactions. New York: CRC Press. Young, D. A. (2014). Handbook of Critical Incidents and Essential Topics in Pediatric Anesthesiology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.