| AB | abdominal; abnormal; abortion; Ace bandage; active bilaterally; aid to the blind; alcian blue; alert... |
|---|---|
| Ab | abortion; antibiotic; antibody |
| AC | abdominal circumference; abdominal compression; absorption coefficient; abuse case; acetate; acetylc... |
| ASAH | antibiotic sterilized aortic valve homograft |
| Atb | antibiotic |
| peptide antibiotic lactonase | <enzyme> Peptide lactone and water gives linear peptide Registry number: EC 3.1.1.- (26 Jun 1999) |
|---|---|
| diarrhoea, antibiotic-induced | A bacterium called Clostridium difficile (C.difficile), one of the most common causes of infection of the large bowel (colon). Patients taking antibiotics are at particular risk of becoming infected with C. Difficile. Antibiotics disrupt the normal bacteria of the bowel, allowing C. Difficile bacteria (and other bacteria) to become established and overgrow the colon. Many persons infected with C. Difficile bacteria have no symptoms but can become carriers of the bacteria and infect others. In other people, a toxin produced by C. Difficile causes diarrhoea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood count, vomiting and dehydration. In severely affected patients, the inner lining of the colon becomes severely inflamed (a condition called pseudomembranous colitis). Rarely, the walls of the colon wear away and holes develop (colon perforation), which can lead to a life-threatening infection of the abdomen. (12 Dec 1998) |
| transport antibiotic | A substance that makes biomembranes permeable to certain ions. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenergic blocking agent | A compound that selectively blocks or inhibits responses to sympathetic adrenergic nerve activity (sympatholytic agent) and to epinephrine, norepinephrine, and other adrenergic amines (adrenolytic agent); two distinct classes exist, alpha-and beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent's. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenergic neuronal blocking agent | A drug that prevents the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve terminals; it does not inhibit the responses of the adrenergic receptors to circulating epinephrine, norepinephrine, and other adrenergic amines. (05 Mar 2000) |
| agent | <pharmacology> Any power, principle or substance capable of producing an effect, whether physical, chemical or biological. Origin: L. Agens = acting (18 Nov 1997) |
| agent, antihypertensive | As the name suggests, a drug aimed at reducing high blood pressure (hypertension). (12 Dec 1998) |
| agent, anti-infective | Something capable of acting against infection, by inhibiting the spread of an infectious agent or by killing the infectious agent outright. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Agent Orange | An herbicide and defoliant, consisting of (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, and dioxin, that was widely used in the Vietnam War; it has been shown to possess residual post-exposure carcinogenic and teratogenic properties in humans. (05 Mar 2000) |
| agent, tocolytic | A medication that can inhibit labour, slow down or halt the contractions of the uterus. Tocolytic agents are widely used today to treat premature labour and permit pregnancy to procede and so let the foetus gain in size and maturity before being born. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alkylating agent | <oncology, pharmacology> A reagent that places an alkyl group, for example propyl in place of a nucleophilic group in a molecule. Alkylating reagents include a number of cytotoxic drugs some of which react fairly specifically with N7 of the purine ring and lead to depurination of DNA, for example the agent ethyl ethanesulphonic acid and thus to mutagenesis. The drugs interaction with DNAand prevents the division of the cells. Examples of drugs include: busulphan, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, melphalan. (29 Sep 1997) |
| alpha-adrenergic blocking agent | An agent that competitively blocks alpha-adrenergic receptors; used in the treatment of hypertension. Synonym: alpha-blocker. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antianxiety agent | A functional category of drugs useful in the treatment of anxiety and able to reduce anxiety at doses which do not cause excessive sedation (e.g., diazepam). Synonym: anxiolytic, minor tranquilliser. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antidiabetic agent | A substance that helps a person with diabetes control the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood so that the body works as it should. See: insulin. (09 Oct 1997) |
| antifibrinolytic agent | Agents that prevent fibrinolysis or lysis of a blood clot or thrombus. Several endogenous antiplasmins are known. The drugs are used to control massive haemorrhage and in other coagulation disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |