Actions
Actions (Medicine)
Actions (pronounced: ak-shuns) in the context of medicine, refers to the effects or influences that a drug, procedure, or treatment has on a patient's body or condition.
Etymology
The term "action" originates from the Latin word "actio", which means "a doing" or "a making". In the medical context, it has been used since the 14th century to describe the effect of a medical intervention.
Types of Actions
There are several types of actions in medicine, including:
- Therapeutic Action: This is the intended beneficial effect of a drug or treatment. For example, the therapeutic action of an antibiotic is to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.
- Side Effect: This is an unintended effect of a drug or treatment. Side effects can be harmless or harmful, and they can sometimes be used to the patient's advantage. For example, the side effect of certain chemotherapy drugs is hair loss.
- Adverse Reaction: This is a harmful and unintended reaction to a drug or treatment. Adverse reactions are usually unpredictable and can occur at any dose. For example, an adverse reaction to a vaccine could be an allergic reaction.
- Drug Interaction: This is a change in the effect of a drug caused by another drug, food, or substance. Drug interactions can increase or decrease the effectiveness of a drug, or they can cause unexpected side effects. For example, grapefruit juice can interact with certain statins, increasing their effect and potentially causing harmful side effects.
Related Terms
- Pharmacodynamics: This is the study of what a drug does to the body. It includes the study of the mechanisms of drug action.
- Pharmacokinetics: This is the study of what the body does to a drug. It includes the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs.
- Pharmacology: This is the study of drugs and their actions on the body. It includes both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Actions
- Wikipedia's article - Actions
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