mifepristone
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A pharmaceutical drug used to induce abortion: Mifepristone is a medication that terminates a pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for a pregnancy to continue.
Usage
- Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, for medical abortion.
- Its use is typically restricted to the early weeks of pregnancy and is subject to specific medical protocols and regulations.
Examples
- Noun:
- The clinic prescribed mifepristone as part of the medical abortion protocol.
- Access to mifepristone is regulated by law in many countries.
Advanced Usage
- "Mifepristone regimen": Refers to the specific two-drug protocol (mifepristone followed by misoprostol) used for medication abortion.
- The standard mifepristone regimen is highly effective in the first ten weeks of gestation.
Variants and Related Words
- RU-486: The original trade name and common synonym for mifepristone.
- Antiprogestin: A class of drugs to which mifepristone belongs; it works by blocking progesterone receptors.
Synonyms
- Abortion pill: A common informal term for the medication.
- RU-486: The former brand name.
Notes on Meaning
- Mifepristone specifically refers to the first drug in a two-step medication abortion process. It is not synonymous with the entire procedure but is a key component of it.
- It is also investigated for other medical uses, such as the treatment of Cushing's syndrome or certain tumors, but its primary and most well-known use is for pregnancy termination.
Noun
- an abortion-inducing drug (trade name RU_486) developed in France; when taken during the first five weeks of pregnancy it blocks the action of progesterone so that the uterus sloughs off the embryo