Definition

Noun 1. A specific antibiotic drug: Nafcil is a proprietary name for a type of penicillin antibiotic. It is chemically resistant to penicillinase, an enzyme produced by some bacteria that destroys ordinary penicillin. This makes it effective for treating infections caused by certain penicillin-resistant bacteria, particularly some strains of staphylococci. It is commonly administered as its sodium salt.

Usage

• As a proper noun (trade name): The word "Nafcil" is typically used with an initial capital letter because it is a registered trademark for the drug nafcillin sodium.
  • The culture confirmed a resistant staph infection, so the doctor prescribed Nafcil.
  • The hospital's protocol for suspected MRSA includes starting intravenous Nafcil.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare settings. It refers to the specific drug entity, its dosage, administration, and effects.
  • The patient's condition improved after 48 hours on Nafcil.
  • The pharmacist checked for any potential interactions with the patient's other medications before dispensing the Nafcil.

Variants and Related Words

• Nafcillin: This is the generic, non-proprietary name for the drug. "Nafcil" is the brand name for nafcillin.
• Penicillinase-resistant penicillin: This is the drug class to which nafcillin (Nafcil) belongs.
• Antibiotic: This is the broad category of drugs used to treat bacterial infections, which includes Nafcil.

Synonyms

• Nafcillin (the generic name is a direct synonym).
• Penicillinase-resistant penicillin (a descriptive synonym for its drug class).

Notes

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs associated with this word due to its highly technical and specific nature as a proper noun for a pharmaceutical product.

Noun

1. a penicillinase-resistant form of penicillin (trade name Nafcil) used (usually in the form of its sodium salt) to treat infections caused by penicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci