Pharmacology & Medication Management Flashcards
7 cards from real COM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology & Medication Management flashcards as text
A COM therapist receives a referral for a patient on warfarin. Which orofacial scenario requires immediate communication with the prescribing physician?
Answer: Planned intraoral myofascial release techniques that could cause tissue bleeding
Intraoral manual techniques in an anticoagulated patient carry bleeding risk, necessitating medical clearance or technique modification.
Topical anesthetics applied by dental providers before OMT-related procedures primarily work by:
Answer: Blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in sensory nerve membranes
Local anesthetics reversibly block voltage-gated Na⁺ channels, preventing sensory nerve depolarization and signal transmission.
A patient with myasthenia gravis on pyridostigmine (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) presents for OMT. The therapist should expect:
Answer: Fluctuating orofacial muscle fatigue that may worsen with exercise intensity
Despite medication, myasthenia patients experience muscle fatigue with repetitive use, so OMT exercise intensity and session length must be carefully managed.
Melatonin used as a sleep supplement by OMT patients with sleep-disordered breathing is relevant because:
Answer: It may improve sleep quality and nasal breathing patterns, supporting OMT nighttime behavioral goals
Melatonin supports circadian rhythm regulation and sleep quality, which complements nighttime behavioral aspects of OMT for sleep-disordered breathing.
Which pain management medication, if taken chronically by an OMT patient, may mask proprioceptive feedback signals important for monitoring jaw and tongue muscle strain during exercises?
Answer: NSAIDs and analgesics reducing pain signaling
Chronic analgesic use can blunt pain that would otherwise signal overexertion during myofunctional exercises, risking muscle overload.
A patient discloses they use a prescription sleep aid (zolpidem) nightly. Which OMT-relevant concern should be documented?
Answer: Zolpidem may suppress sleep bruxism data and cause complex sleep behaviors affecting orofacial tissue
Zolpidem can suppress bruxism detection and has been associated with complex sleep behaviors including sleep-eating, which can affect orofacial tissue assessment.
When a COM therapist is not licensed to prescribe medications, the appropriate scope-of-practice response to a medication-related finding (e.g., suspected drug-induced xerostomia) is to:
Answer: Document the finding and refer to the prescribing physician or pharmacist for evaluation
COM therapists observe and document medication-related orofacial findings and coordinate with the prescribing provider rather than managing medications directly.