Bio275

Chapter One

3. Describe three medical uses for drugs and give examples.

1. Preventive use: are used to prevent the occurrence of disease or conditions the administration of preventive drugs is known as prophylaxis.

Examples:

* Drugs taken prior to traveling to prevent motion sickness

* Contraceptive drugs taken to prevent pregnancy

* Vaccinations given to immunize children or adults against certain diseases such as polio, diphtheria, or influenza

2. Diagnostic Use: are used by themselves or in conjunction with radiologic procedures and other types of medical tests provide evidence of a disease process.

Examples:

* Radiopaque contrast dyes used during x-ray procedures

* Drugs that mimic the cardiac effect of exercise in patients who cannot undergo regular cardiac exercise stress testing.

3. Therapeutic use: The majority of drugs are used to control, improve or cure symptoms, signs, conditions or diseases of physiologic or psychological nature.

Examples:

* Antibiotic drugs to kill bacteria and cure an infection

* Analgesic drugs to control the pain and inflammation of arthritis

* Insulin to treat diabetes

4. Give the meaning of and describe the linguistic origin of RX.

* The symbol RX comes from the Latin word recipe meaning take, which indicates a prescription, the combining of ingredients to form a drug. Some ingredients had the value but others were worthless or actually harmful.

5. Give the name of the drug in current usage, the originated from the natural source listed below:

* Foxglove plant: Lanoxin which is used today to treat congestive heart failure

* Sheep’s wool: Lanolin a common ingredient of topical skin gel. This is obtained from the purified fat of sheep’s wool.

* Rose hips: Powdered rose hips are still the source of natural vitamin C in some over the counter vitamin C dietary supplements.

* Poppy: The sap from the seed heads of the poppy flower, Papaver Somniferum contain...