B6 Preventing And Treating Diseases Flashcards
What are antibiotics?
Drugs that kill bacteria
What is a vaccine?
A dead or weakened form of a pathogen
What is herd immunity?
When the majority of a population is vaccinated, meaning the chances of someone who is not vaccinated catching the disease is lowered.
What do new drugs have to go through before they can be used by doctors?
1) Drugs are first tested in a lab on human cells and tissues
2) Drugs are then tested on live animals
3) They are then tested on healthy volunteers to find the maximum dosage before side effects occur
4) Finally they are tested on patients who suffer from the relevant disease to find the optimum dosage
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Monoclonal antibodies are identical copies of one type of antibody
What are stents?
An expandable tube which can be placed inside blood vessels (usually arteries) to expand the lumen and therefore allow for more blood flow
What is coronary heart disease?
When too much fatty material builds up around the coronary arteries, meaning the lumen becomes narrower and a limited amount of blood can reach the heart
What are some benefits of stents?
- Surgery is quick
- Can last a long time
What are some negatives of stents?
- Requires surgery which has risks
- Increases chance of a blood clot near the stent
What are statins?
Medications that alter the balance of cholesterol in the blood stream
What are some benefits of statins?
- Does not require surgery
- Decreases the chance of strokes or heart attacks
- Can decrease the amount of bad cholesterol whilst increasing the amount of good cholesterol
What are some negatives of statins?
- Have to be taken regularly
- Can cause side effects such as head aches or kidney failure
What is the role of a valve?
To ensure that blood flows in one direction in the blood vessels or heart
What are the 2 types of valves that can be used?
- Biological valves
- Mechanical valves
What is an antibody?
A protein produced by our white blood cells which help to fight diseases by binding onto antigens
What do we call it when bacteria cells evolve so that antibiotics can no longer kill them?
Antibiotic resistance
What is a placebo and why may it be used?
A placebo is a substance or treatment that contains no active drug,
it may be used to test if patients or doctors are searching hard for side-effects that are not truly happening
