Common daily terminology used in the practice of medicine

1. HOSPITAL & CLINICAL PHARMACY
D. Pharm 2nd year
Topic- Common daily terminology
used in the practice of Medicine
Presented by-
Shweta Mishra
HYGIA GROUP OF INSTITUTION

2. Common daily terminology used in the
practice of Medicine
As the pharmacist has to deal with a number of diseases, dosage form, and variety
of prescriptions, he must be familiar with the medical and pharmaceutical
terminology used in the practice of medicine.
Classification of Terminology
It is done on the basis of following factors:-
1. Dosage forms
2. Pharmacological Glossary
3. Latin terms
4. Miscellaneous

3. 1. Dosage Forms
As different types of dosage forms are used to deliver pharmacologically active substances
to the patient through different routes of administration; they can be summarized as
follows:
❏ Aerosol: A pressurised preparation that releases fine dispersion of liquid and/or solid
particle in gaseous medium.
❏ Capsule: A solid unit dosage form containing one or more substances enclosed within a
hard or soft gelatin shell.
❏ Drops: Medicated oil or water intended to be instilled into ear, eye or nasal cavity.
❏ Elixir: A clear, sweetened hydroalcoholic liquid containing medicaments.
❏ Emulsion: Two immiscible liquids well dispersed with the help of an emulsifying agent.
❏ Injections: Sterile aqueous or oily suspensions, solutions intended for parenteral
administration.
❏ Liniments / Lotion: Liquid preparations meant for external application to the skin.

4. ❏ Lozenge: A disc shaped solid preparation intended to be slowly dissolved in the oral
cavity for local action.
❏ Mixtures: These are medicated liquid preparations meant for oral administration.
❏ Nasal drops: These are the sterile medicated liquid preparations meant for
instillation into nose.
❏ Ointment: Semi-solid form meant for external application to the skin.
❏ Paste: Pastes are semi-solid preparations meant for external use only.
❏ Pessaries: These are solid dosage forms for insertion into vagina to treat infections.
❏ Pills: A small, round solid preparation for oral administration.
❏ Powder: Solid dosage form meant for external or internal purpose and is available in
amorphous or crystalline form.
❏ Poultice: These are semi-solid paste like preparations meant for external use only..
❏ Spirits: Spirits are alcoholic or hydor-alcoholic solutions of volatile oils or other
aromatic compounds.
❏ Sprays: Sprays are liquid preparations intended for spraying to the mucosal of nose
or throat with the help of an atomiser or nebuliser.

5. ❏ Suspension: Suspensions are the biphasic liquid or semi solid dosage forms of
medicament in which the finely divided solid particles are dispersed or
suspended in a liquid or semi-solid vehicles.
❏ Syrups: Syrups are the aqueous liquid preparation intended for oral
administration in which the vehicle used is a concentrated aqueous solution of
sucrose or other sugars. It can be medicated or non-medicated.
❏ Tablets: Tablet are the solid unit dosage forms of medicaments administered by
oral route.
❏ Tinctures: These are alcoholic or hydro-alcoholic liquid preparations containing
the active constituents of vegetable drugs.
❏ Vehicles: These are the substances in which the medicament is either dissolved
or suspended.
❏ Solutions: These are the liquid dosage forms in which medicament and other
ingredients of the preparation are dissolved in the vehicle.
❏ Suppositories: A solid dosage form intended for insertion into body cavities like
rectum or vagina, where they melt, soften or dissolve and exert local or systemic
effects.

6. 2. Pharmacological Glossary
❏ Antibiotics: A substance, produced by or derived from a micro-organism, that
destroys or inhibits the growth of other micro-organisms.
❏ Anticoagulants: An agent that prevents the clotting of blood.
❏ Alopecia: Baldness, falling of hair.
❏ Arrhythmia: Abnormal rhythm of heart.
❏ Arthritis: Inflammation of joints.
❏ Bradycardia: Slow rate of heart contraction.
❏ Bronchitis: Inflammation of Bronchi.
❏ Coma: Deep sleep, complete loss of consciousness.
❏ Crystallurea: Appearance of crystals in urine.
❏ Dysfunction: Abnormal functioning of any organ or part.
❏ Emesis: Vomiting, emetic.
❏ Eosinophilia: Increased number of eosinophils in blood.
❏ Epilepsy: A disease of brain due to abnormal electrical discharge.

7. ❏ Flushing: Sudden redness of skin.
❏ Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach.
❏ Goitre: Enlargement of thyroid gland.
❏ Haematuria: Blood in urine.
❏ Haemorrhage: A condition of bleeding.
❏ Hyperglycemia: Excessive sugar in the blood as in diabetes mellitus.
❏ Hyperkalemia: Excessive potassium in blood.
❏ Infant: A baby or child less than one year old.
❏ Insomnia: Chronic inability to sleep.
❏ Ischaemia: Reduced blood supply.
❏ Jaundice: A liver disease leading to increased bilirubin level in the blood.
❏ Laxative: A mild act of evacuation of faeces.
❏ Meningitis: Inflammation of meninges.
❏ Migraine: A form of throbbing headache, generally unilateral.
❏ Nausea: The feeling that one is about to vomit.
❏ Night blindness: The inability to see in dim light or at night.

8. ❏ Obesity: A condition in which excess fat has accumulated in the body, mostly in the
subcutaneous tissue.
❏ Osteomylitis: Inflammation of the bone marrow or the bone.
❏ Ototoxic: Having toxic action on the ear.
❏ Pacemaker: A device used to produce and maintain a normal heart rate in patient
who has heart block.
❏ Psoriasis: A chronic skin disease.
❏ Rheumatism: Any disorder in which aches and pain affect the muscles and joints.
❏ Rhinitis: Inflammation of nasal mucous membrane.
❏ Salivation: The secretion of saliva by the salivary glands of the mouth.
❏ Synergism: When two drugs are administered together, their combined effect is
greater than the sum of their individual effects.
❏ Tachycardia: Abnormally rapid heart rate.
❏ Tetanus: An acute infectious disease, affecting the nervous system caused by the
Clostridium tetani.

9. ❏ Vomiting: The reflex action of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the
mouth.
❏ Wound: A break in the structure of an organ or tissue caused by an external agent.
For eg. cuts, punctures & burns.
❏ Xanthinuria: The excess of the purine derivatives, xanthine in the urine.
❏ Yellow fever: An infectious disease caused by an Arbovirus, occuring in tropical
Africa and the northern regions of South America.
❏ Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: A disorder in which there is an excessive secretion of
gastric juice due to high level of circulating gastrin.
❏ Zymolysis: The process of fermentation or digestion by an enzyme.

10. 3. Latin Terms
Latin Terms and Abbreviations
Latin terms Abbreviation English Meaning
Quantum sufficiat q.s. As much as is sufficient
Agita agit Shake
Alterni horis All hor Alternate hour
Ante Cibos a.c. Before meal
Post Cibos p.c. After meal
Ana aa of each
Bis in die b.i.d. Twice daily
Collunarium Collum. Nose wash
Collutorium Collut Mouth wash

11. Latin terms Abbreviation English Meaning
Mane m. In the morning
Hora somni h.s. At bedtime
Dolore urgentae dol.urg. When the pain is severe
E lacte e lact. With milk
Ex aqua ex aq. With water
Oculentum oculent An eye ointment
Tabella tab. A tablet
Tussi urgente tuss. urg. If the cough is troublesome
Parti affectae applicandus p.a.a. To be applied on the affected part
Ter in die t.i.d. Three times a day

12. 4. Miscellaneous
❏ Generic name: The official, common or public name used to designate an active drug
entity, whether in pure form or in dosage form.
❏ Brand name: It is a trade name/ proprietary name, owned by the manufacturer.
❏ OTC drugs(Over-The-Counter): These are the drug products that can be purchased
without prescription.
❏ Contra-indication: It is a condition of disease which precludes the use of a particular
drug.

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