A patient asks why albuterol causes a feeling of jitteriness when it is used to treat wheezing. The nurse knows that albuterol is a beta-adrenergic agonist that acts on beta₂ receptor sites to cause smooth muscle dilation in the bronchioles of the lungs, but that it also can sometimes act on beta₁ receptor sites in skeletal muscles to cause tremors. To explain this to the patient, the nurse will rely on knowledge of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ability of a drug to be selective for receptor sites in a patient determines the types of effects it can have on the body. This drug can bind to two different types of receptors that cause different reactions. The modified occupancy theory addresses the strength of an attraction between a drug and a receptor and the drug's ability to activate the receptor. Relative potency describes the amount of drug needed to produce a specific effect. Most drugs remain bound to receptors permanently, causing the effects to be reversible.

A Patient Asks Why Albuterol Causes a Feeling of Jitteriness