Suggest two reasons why the patients had ziconotide injected into their cerebrospinal fluid rather than taking a pill containing the drug - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 2 - 2023 - Paper 2
Question 2
Suggest two reasons why the patients had ziconotide injected into their cerebrospinal fluid rather than taking a pill containing the drug.
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2.
Ziconotide was ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Suggest two reasons why the patients had ziconotide injected into their cerebrospinal fluid rather than taking a pill containing the drug - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 2 - 2023 - Paper 2
Step 1
Suggest two reasons why the patients had ziconotide injected into their cerebrospinal fluid rather than taking a pill containing the drug.
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Answer
Ziconotide injected directly reaches the spinal cord, leading to more immediate effects.
The drug is rapidly broken down by enzymes in the digestive system, making injection a more effective route.
Step 2
Calculate the total mass in grams of ziconotide injected after 8 days into a patient with a body mass of 82 kg.
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Answer
First, calculate the total dosage per hour:
extDosage=3extngkg−1exth−1imes82extkg=246extngh−1
Next, convert nanograms to grams:
246extngh−1=246imes10−9extgh−1
Then calculate the total over 8 days (where 1 day = 24 hours): extTotalInjection=246imes10−9extgh−1imes(8imes24exth)=246imes10−9extgh−1imes192exth=4.73imes10−5extg
Step 3
Suggest two reasons why it was important to use a statistically valid scale.
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Answer
The (sensation of) pain is subjective, and a scale allows for more standardized assessment.
Individual pain sensitivity varies, and using a valid scale ensures that differences in pain detection are statistically significant.