LY is a healthy 13yearold who had all her wisdom teeth remov

L.Y. is a healthy 13-year-old who had all her wisdom teeth removed 6 hours ago and is experiencing significant pain. She has been prescribed acetaminophen and codeine for pain relief and is at home recovering. Her mother wants her to rest and stop text messaging her friends about her dental surgery. How do acetaminophen and codeine act to reduce pain? What is a side effect of high levels of each drug? Why has the dentist prescribed only a limited supply of the medication?

Solution

Answer:

Acetaminophen:

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) is administered to patients to reduce pain and fever. It is generally used in cases of arthritis, back pain, muscle aches and tooth pain.

It is acts as an inhibitor of COX enzymes, more specifically COX-2. Inhibition of COX-2 prevents the metabolism of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins.

It side effects include pain in upper stomach, loss of appetite, dark urine or jaundice.

The dentist prescribed limited supply of the medication because an overdose of acetaminophen may lead to liver damage and death.

Codeine:

Codeine is an opoid pain medication, also used in cough and diarrhea. It is used for mild to moderate pain.

Codeine is considered to act similar to morphine by binding to opoid receptors in the brain which are involved in transmitting signals between the brain and the body.

The side effects of this drug may include problems in braething, drowsiness and blue lips.

The dentist prescribed limited amount of the drug as and overdose of codeine may lead to death of the patient. Moreover, it is highly addictive like morphine.