| Course | HS140 Pharmacology |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Drug class profile |
| Length | About 660 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS140 Unit 2
One Mechanism, Many Effects: A Unit 2 Drug Class Profile of Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blockers
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HS140: Pharmacology
Unit 2 Drug Class Profile
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The drug information follows the textbook and review cited; no doses are given, as the unit's instructions require.
What the Class Is
Calcium channel blockers stop calcium from entering muscle cells through channels in their membranes. Muscle cells in the heart and in artery walls need calcium to contract, so blocking the channels relaxes them. The class has two branches. Dihydropyridines act mainly on the smooth muscle of arteries. Non-dihydropyridines, verapamil and diltiazem, act more on the heart itself, slowing the rate and the conduction of electrical signals (Elliott & Ram, 2011). This profile covers the dihydropyridines.
How the Mechanism Explains the Uses
When artery walls relax, the arteries widen, and the resistance the heart pumps against falls. Blood pressure drops. That is the main reason the class is prescribed: high blood pressure. Wider coronary arteries and lower resistance also reduce the heart's oxygen demand, which is why some agents are used for chronic angina. Because the class does not slow the heart much, it can be combined with drugs that do, such as beta blockers (Lilley et al., 2023).
How the Mechanism Explains the Side Effects
Flushing and headache. Widened blood vessels in the skin and head carry more blood, producing warmth, redness and headache, especially when treatment starts.
Reflex tachycardia. When blood pressure falls quickly, the body senses the drop and speeds up the heart to compensate. Short-acting forms produced this effect more strongly; longer-acting forms that lower pressure gradually cause less of it.
Ankle edema. The class widens the small arteries leading into the capillaries more than the veins leading out. Pressure inside the capillaries rises, and fluid leaks into the tissues, collecting in the ankles. This swelling is not caused by fluid overload, so diuretics do little for it (Katzung & Vanderah, 2021).
Gum overgrowth. A less common effect, gingival hyperplasia, in which gum tissue thickens.
Ankle swelling from this class is a plumbing problem in the capillaries, not a sign of heart failure, which is why a water pill rarely fixes it.
Precautions
Because these drugs lower blood pressure, dizziness on standing is possible, especially in older adults. Grapefruit juice can raise the blood levels of some dihydropyridines by blocking their breakdown in the gut wall, so patients are often told to avoid it. Short-acting nifedipine capsules are not used for routine blood pressure control because of sudden drops in pressure.
Representative Agents
Amlodipine, a long-acting agent taken once daily and the most widely prescribed member of the class. Nifedipine, used in extended-release form. Felodipine, also extended-release. Each shares the mechanism and the side effects above; they differ mainly in how long they last.
How the Class Compares With Its Relatives
Verapamil and diltiazem lower blood pressure too, but they slow the heart, so they are used for rate control in some heart rhythm problems and are avoided in some patients with heart failure. Dihydropyridines do little to heart rate and are preferred when the goal is to lower pressure without slowing the heart.
What Patients Usually Notice
In practice, patients starting amlodipine most often mention flushing or a mild headache in the first week, which tends to fade, and ankle swelling that may appear weeks later and does not fade. Allied health staff who take histories or vital signs may be the first to hear about the swelling, and knowing its mechanism helps them report it accurately rather than assuming a new heart problem. A patient who feels light-headed on standing should be reported too, since the drop in pressure can lead to falls in older adults.
Summary
One action, blocking calcium entry into arterial smooth muscle, explains why dihydropyridines lower blood pressure and relieve angina, and also why they cause flushing, headache, reflex tachycardia and ankle swelling.
References
Elliott, W. J., & Ram, C. V. S. (2011). Calcium channel blockers. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 13(9), 687-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7176.2011.00513.x
Katzung, B. G., & Vanderah, T. W. (Eds.). (2021). Basic and clinical pharmacology (15th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Lilley, L. L., Collins, S. R., & Snyder, J. S. (2023). Pharmacology and the nursing process (10th ed.). Elsevier.
The Purdue Global HS140 Unit 2 instructions
The second unit typically asks students to profile one drug class, explaining its mechanism, uses, common side effects, precautions and representative agents. Profiles usually fill a few pages, and instructors look for side effects explained from the mechanism rather than memorized, since that shows understanding that transfers to new drugs in the class. Many prompts ask students to compare the class with a related one. Dosages are usually not expected in an allied health profile and may be discouraged. Representative agents are typically named after the class explanation, with a note on what distinguishes them. Citing a pharmacology textbook and at least one review article is common, and the profile should be written for readers outside nursing or pharmacy.
How this HS140 Unit 2 example is built
The profile opens by placing dihydropyridines within calcium channel blockers and distinguishing them from the non-dihydropyridine branch. A section explains how arterial relaxation produces the main uses, blood pressure lowering and angina relief. Side effects follow, each traced to the mechanism: flushing and headache, reflex tachycardia, ankle edema and gum overgrowth; the highlighted sentence explains why the swelling resists diuretics. Precautions cover dizziness, grapefruit and short-acting nifedipine. Representative agents are listed, the class is compared with verapamil and diltiazem, a section describes what patients notice and a one-sentence summary closes the profile. Doses never appear, keeping the profile within the allied health scope the prompt sets.
Where the points sit in the HS140 Unit 2 rubric
Drug class profiles are commonly graded on accuracy of the mechanism, how well effects are explained from it, completeness of uses and precautions, comparison with related classes and clarity. Tracing effects back to mechanism is usually where most marks sit, since that is the skill the unit builds. Accuracy is essential; a mistaken mechanism undermines every later section. Completeness rewards covering both therapeutic uses and the side effects patients actually report. Comparison earns credit when differences between related classes are explained, not just listed. Plain language suitable for allied health readers, appropriate citations and the absence of dosing details complete the grade. Instructors may also check that representative agents appear only after the class is explained.
HS140 Unit 2 help from the desk
A frequent weakness is a list of side effects copied from a drug guide with no explanation of why they happen. Another is mixing up the two branches of calcium channel blockers, attributing heart-rate slowing to amlodipine. Some students include doses, which most allied health prompts discourage. Others name a dozen agents without explaining the class first. Overlooking practical precautions, such as dizziness on standing in older adults, leaves the profile incomplete. If your instructor assigned a different class, perhaps loop diuretics or SSRIs, send the class name and any required headings, and a profile can be written that traces each effect from the mechanism.
Get an HS140 Unit 2 example written to your instructions
The class assigned to your section for Unit 2, the template if one was supplied, and the rubric: send those three. Your custom drug class profile, organized mechanism first, arrives in 24-48h with agents named only after the class logic is set out. No payment is needed for the first sample. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HS140 Unit 2 questions, answered
How many individual drugs should the profile name?
Usually two or three representative agents, named after the class explanation is complete. The assignment is about the class, and a long list of agents adds little. Choose ones that illustrate the stem and, if relevant, one that differs in a way worth noting, such as a longer duration. Look at whether the prompt specifies a number, since some sections do.
Should I include dosages in a class profile?
Generally no. An allied health profile explains how the class works, what it treats and what gets watched, not how much to give, and dosing varies by agent, indication and patient. If the prompt specifically asks for typical ranges, take them from the assigned drug reference and cite them, but most sections neither request nor reward them.
Where can I find a free HS140 Unit 2 sample paper?
This page holds the complete Unit 2 drug class profile of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, tracing each effect from one mechanism.
Why does amlodipine cause ankle swelling?
It widens the small arteries feeding the capillaries more than the veins draining them, so pressure in the capillaries rises and fluid leaks into tissue. It is not fluid overload.
How do dihydropyridines differ from verapamil and diltiazem?
Dihydropyridines act mainly on artery walls and barely slow the heart, while verapamil and diltiazem act more on the heart, slowing its rate and conduction.