| verapamil | <drug> A calcium channel blocking drug, used as a coronary vasodilator and antiarrhythmic. Pharmacologic action: Calcium channel blockade, direct, potent negative chronotrope and inotrope, slows conduction in AV node, systemic and coronary vasodilation. Uses: Supraventricular tachycardias. Dose: 2.5 - 5.0 mg IV over 1-2 minutes May repeat at 5.0 - 10 mg every 15-30 minutes until 30 mg total dose. Onset: 3 - 5 min. Potential complications: Hypotension due to vasodilation and depressed contractility. Treat with calcium; bradycardia, AV block can be exacerbated, contraindicated with congestive heart failure, synergistic interaction with beta blockers. Note: Administration of verapamil to a patient with ventricular tachycardia can be lethal. Verapamil can accelerate heart rate and decrease blood pressure, especially in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White and wide-complex tachycardia. (12 Mar 2000) |
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| abstracting and indexing | Shortening or summarizing of documents; assigning of descriptors for referencing documents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| academies and institutes | Organizations representing specialised fields which are accepted as authoritative; may be non-governmental, university or an independent research organization, e.g., national academy of sciences, brookings institution, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| accounts payable and receivable | Short-term debt obligations and assets occurring in the regular course of operational transactions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| aged, 80 and over | A person 80 years of age and older. (12 Dec 1998) |
| algae and fungi | Algae represent a group of spore-propagating plants, unicellular or undifferentiated into root, stem, and leaf. They include seaweed and many unicellular fresh water plants, most of which contain chlorophyll. They account for about 90% of the earth's photosynthetic activity. Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that live as saprobes or parasites and include mushrooms, yeasts, smuts, molds, etc. They lack chlorophyll. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alkyl and aryl transferases | <enzyme> A somewhat heterogeneous class of enzymes that catalyze the transfer of alkyl or related groups (excluding methyl groups). Registry number: EC 2.5 (12 Dec 1998) |
| allergy and immunology | A medical specialty concerned with the hypersensitivity of the individual to foreign substances and protection from the resultant infection or disorder. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alligators and crocodiles | Large, long-tailed reptiles, including caimans, of the order loricata. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Amine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation | <pharmacology, physiology> Paracrine cells of which argentaffin cells are an example. Usage of the term APUD is neither helpful nor memorable. Acronym: APUD (11 Nov 1997) |
| amino acids, peptides, and proteins | Amino acids and chains of amino acids connected by peptide linkages. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Anderson and Goldberger test | A test for typhus in which the patient's blood is injected into a guinea pig's peritoneal cavity. In typhus a typical temperature curve will be observed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anniversaries and special events | Occasions to commemorate an event or occasions designated for a specific purpose. (12 Dec 1998) |
| anonyms and pseudonyms | Designations for persons whose names are not known or who wish to remain anonymous (anonyms) and for persons who wish to conceal or obscure their identity by assuming a fictitious name (pseudonyms). (12 Dec 1998) |
| anti-allergic and respiratory system agents | A collective term for drugs used to treat allergic reactions as well as those drugs that produce an effect on the respiratory system. (12 Dec 1998) |