27 terms
Glossary
Every term this site uses, defined in one sentence for someone who has never seen a vial — then expanded, with the confusion each one is usually looked up because of. Grouped by what they are about rather than alphabetically, because the clusters are how the vocabulary actually divides.
Measurement
- ConcentrationConcentration is how much substance sits in each millilitre of liquid, usually written as mg/mL.
- Microgram (mcg)A microgram is one thousandth of a milligram — a very small unit used when a milligram would be an awkwardly large number.
- Milligram (mg)A milligram is one thousandth of a gram, and it measures how much of a substance there is.
- Millilitre (mL)A millilitre is a measure of liquid volume — one thousandth of a litre, and the same volume as one cubic centimetre.
- U-100 syringeA U-100 syringe is one whose scale is divided so that 100 marks equal exactly one millilitre of liquid.
Handling and storage
- Bacteriostatic waterBacteriostatic water is sterile water with a small amount of preservative added, which stops bacteria multiplying in it.
- Beyond-use dateA beyond-use date is the point after which a prepared or opened container should no longer be used — a different thing from an expiry date.
- DiluentA diluent is simply the liquid added to a powder or a concentrate to dissolve or dilute it.
- Lyophilised (freeze-dried)Lyophilised means freeze-dried: frozen, then dried under vacuum so the water leaves without the material ever melting.
- Multi-dose vialA multi-dose vial is a container designed to be entered more than once, usually because its contents include a preservative.
- ReconstitutionReconstitution is the step of adding a sterile liquid to a freeze-dried powder so that it becomes a solution again.
- SharpsSharps is the collective term for used needles, syringes and anything else that can puncture skin and must be disposed of as clinical waste.
Administration
- Half-lifeA half-life is the time it takes for the amount of a substance in the body to fall by half.
- Steady stateSteady state is the point at which the amount entering the body over time and the amount being cleared have come into balance.
- SubcutaneousSubcutaneous means into the layer of fatty tissue directly beneath the skin, rather than into a muscle or a vein.
- TitrationTitration is the general practice of changing an amount gradually over time rather than beginning at the intended final amount.
Evidence and studies
- BIABIA estimates body composition by passing a small electrical current through the body and measuring the resistance it meets.
- DXADXA is a low-dose X-ray scan that estimates how much of the body is fat, lean tissue and bone.
- Lean massLean mass is everything in the body that is not fat — muscle, organs, bone, and the water held within them.
- RandomisedA randomised study is one in which participants are assigned to groups by chance rather than by choice.
- SubstudyA substudy is a smaller investigation carried out within a larger trial, usually on a subset of the participants.
Buying and sourcing
- Certificate of analysis (COA)A certificate of analysis is a laboratory report describing the tests performed on a sample, and their results.
- Compounding pharmacyA compounding pharmacy is a licensed pharmacy that prepares a medication for an individual patient against a prescription.
- Laboratory accreditationAccreditation is formal recognition by an independent body that a laboratory is competent to perform specific tests.
- Lot numberA lot number identifies which production run a particular container came from.
- PurityPurity, on a peptide certificate, usually means the proportion of the detected material that was the intended molecule.
- Research use onlyResearch use only is a labelling designation meaning a product is not sold for use in humans.