Pyrantel

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Pyrantel

Pyrantel (pronounced: pie-RAN-tel) is a medication used to treat a number of parasitic worm infections. This includes ascariasis, hookworm infections, enterobiasis (pinworm infection), trichostrongyliasis, and trichinellosis. It is taken by mouth.

Etymology

The term "Pyrantel" is derived from the chemical name of the drug, which is 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine. The name "Pyrantel" is a combination of "pyr", referring to the pyrimidine ring structure in the chemical compound, and "antel", which is an abbreviation of "anthelmintic", a term for drugs that expel parasitic worms from the body.

Usage

Pyrantel is used to treat infections caused by parasites. It works by paralyzing the worms so they can't move and are expelled by the body. Pyrantel is available in various forms including tablets and liquid suspension. It is usually taken as a single dose, but may be repeated in two weeks if the infection has not been cleared.

Related Terms

  • Parasites: Organisms that live on or in a host organism and get food from or at the expense of their host.
  • Anthelmintic: A type of drug or herbal preparation that expels parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them.
  • Ascariasis: A disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.
  • Hookworm: A type of parasitic worm that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human.
  • Enterobiasis: Also known as pinworm infection, it is a type of human parasitic disease caused by the pinworm.
  • Trichostrongyliasis: A parasitic infection caused by roundworms of the Trichostrongylus genus.
  • Trichinellosis: Also called trichinosis, it is an infection caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella.

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