Chapter: 4.1 Common Terms

Acetaminophen an analgesic and antipyretic drug used in many non prescription pain relievers. It has no antiinflammatory properties. It may be used in combination with other products which do not contain additional acetaminophen. It is often recommended for treatment of mild to moderate pain and fever.

Allergy - a hypersensitive reaction to common, often intrinsically harmless substances most of which are environmental. Severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis and angioneurotic edema of the glottis; can cause systematic shock and death and commonly require immediate therapy with subcutaneous epinephrine or IV steroids.

Antibiotic - Pertaining to the ability to destroy or interfere with the development of a living organism; an antimicrobial agent, derived from cultures of microorganisms or produced semisynthetically, used to treat infections. Classes of antibiotics include penicillin, aminoglycosides, macrollide antibiotics, polypeptide antibiotics, tetracyclines, and cephalosporins.

Anticogulant - Pertaining to a substance that prevents or delays coagulation of the blood; an anticoagulant drug. Heparin is a potent anticoagulant that interferes with the formation of thromboplastin, with the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin and with the formation of fibrin from fibrinogen. Phenindion derivatives administered orally or by injection are vitamin K antagonists that prevent coagulation by inhibiting the formation of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors.

Antiemetic - Pertaining to a substance or procedure that prevents or alleviates nausea and vomiting; an antiemetic drug or agent. Chlorpromazine and other phenothiazines are sometimes effective antiemetic agents. In motion sickness, scopolamine and antihistamines provide relief. SHT3- receptor antagonists such as dolasteron and the corticosteroid dexamethasone may relieve chemotherapy induced nausea. Cannabis derivatives such as dronabinol may also alleviate the nausea induced by certain antineoplastic drugs in cancer patients.

Antifungal - Pertaining to a substance that kills fungi or inhibits their growth or reproduction; an antifungal, antibiotic drug. Amphotericin B and ketoconazole, both effective against a broad spectrum of fungi, probably act by binding to sterols in the fungal cell membrane and changing the membrane's permeability. Griseofulvin, another broad spectrum antifungal agent, binds to the host's new keratin and renders it resistant to further fungal invasion. Miconazole inhibits the growth of common dermatophytes, including yeastlike Candid albicans; nystain is effective against yeast and yeast like fungi.

Apendicitis - inflammation of the vermiform appendix, usually acute, that if undiagnosed leads rapidly to perforation and peritonitis. The inflammation is caused by an obstruction such as a hard mass of feces or a foreign body in the lumen of the appendix, fibrous disease of the bowel wall, an adhesion, or a parasitic infestation. The most common symptom is constant pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen around McBurney's point, which the patient describes as having begun as intermittent pain in midabdomen. Extreme tenderness occurs over the right rectus muscle. Appendicitis is also characterized by vomiting, a low grade fever of 990 to 1020 F. an elevated white blood count, rebound tenderness, a rigid abdomen and decreased or absent bowel sounds. Treatment is appendectomy within 24 to 48 hours of the first symptoms because delay usually results in rupture and peritonitis as fecal matter is released into the peritoneal cavity.