Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A class of drugs that lower cholesterol. There are currently at least 5 statin drugs on the market in the U.S., including: The major effect of the statins is to lower LDL-cholesterol levels, and they lower LDL-cholesterol more than other types of drugs. Statins inhibit an enzyme, HMG- CoA reductase, that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the…

One of the sulfonamides, the sulfa-related antibiotics which are used to treat bacterial and some fungal infections. The first sulfa drug was prontosil. It was discovered by the German physician and chemist Gerhard Domagk in 1935. The sulfa family of drugs includes sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole (brand name: Thiosulfil Forte), sulfamethoxazole (Gantanol), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), sulfisoxazole (Gantrisin), and various…

A drug requiring a prescription, as opposed to an over-the-counter drug, which can be purchased without one. The word “prescription” comes from the Latin “praescriptus” compounded from “prae”, before + scribere, to write = to write before. Historically, a prescription was written before the drug was prepared and administered. A prescription has several parts. There…

Every prescription written in the United States bears a DEA number, that of the prescribing doctor, the DEA being the Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice. Historically, the DEA’s roots go back to the founding in 1930 of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. During World War II, international drug trafficking was effectively suppressed in the U.S.…

An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. In years gone by, a person might have been said to have dropsy. Today one would be more descriptive and specify the cause. Thus, the person might have edema due to congestive heart failure. Edema is often more prominent in the…

Drop hand syndrome is also known as wrist drop or finger drop, a condition caused by paralysis of or damage to the radial nerve of the arm. The radial nerve supplies the muscles that extend the wrist and fingers. The end result is that the hand hangs flaccidly in a position of flexion during attempts to bring the arm to a horizontal…

Short for intravenous drip, a device for administering a fluid drop-by-drop into a vein via an intravenous (IV) route.

Thoughts, visions, and other sensations that occupy the mind in sleep. Dreams occur during that part of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs). We have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. They usually come at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may be brief…

An exam done to detect abnormalities that can be felt (palpated) from within the rectum. The doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels for anything that is not normal. The digital rectal exam is an important screening test for the detection of tumors of the rectum and prostate abnormalities, including benign enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)…

A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or wick. As a verb, to allow fluid to be released from a confined area.