Antiseptics Health Article

KEY TERMS

Antibiotic—A medicine used to treat infections.

Bacteria—Tiny, one-celled forms of life that cause many diseases and infections.

Mucous membrane—The moist lining of a body cavity or structure, such as the mouth or nose.

Pregnancy category—A system of classifying drugs according to their established risks for use during pregnancy. Category A: Controlled human studies have demonstrated no fetal risk. Category B: Animal studies indicate no fetal risk, but no human studies; or adverse effects in animals, but not in well-controlled human studies. Category C: No adequate human or animal studies; or adverse fetal effects in animal studies, but no available human data. Category D: Evidence of fetal risk, but benefits outweigh risks. Category X: Evidence of fetal risk. Risks outweigh any benefits.

Residue—Traces that remain after most of the rest of the material is gone.

PERIODICALS

Farley, Dixie. 'Help for Cuts, Scrapes and Burns.' FDA Consumer (May 1996):12.

Samuel Uretsky, PharmD