Definition

Noun: 1. A chemical compound used as an antibacterial agent: Methenamine is a synthetic organic compound primarily used in medicine to treat and prevent urinary tract infections. It works by converting to formaldehyde in acidic urine, which then kills bacteria.

Examples of Usage

• The doctor prescribed a course of methenamine for the recurrent bladder infection.
• Methenamine is an effective prophylactic treatment for patients prone to urinary infections.
• Some over-the-counter urinary antiseptic products contain methenamine as the active ingredient.

Advanced Usage

• Methenamine hippurate and methenamine mandelate are common salt forms of the drug, which are more stable and used in pharmaceutical preparations.

Variants and Related Words

• Hexamethylenetetramine: This is the systematic chemical name for methenamine.
• Urex (trade name): A brand name for a medication containing methenamine.
• Mandelamine (trade name): A brand name for methenamine mandelate.

Synonyms

• Hexamine (primarily in industrial/chemical contexts)
• Urinary antiseptic (describes its function, not the compound itself)

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary and almost exclusive modern use of "methenamine" is in a medical/pharmaceutical context as a urinary antibacterial drug.
• In industrial chemistry, the same compound (hexamethylenetetramine) is used as a solid fuel for camping stoves and in the production of other chemicals, but this usage is rarely referred to as "methenamine" outside specialized fields.

Noun

1. antibacterial agent (trade names Mandelamine and Urex) that is contained in many products that are used to treat urinary infections