scopolamine

Thân thiện

A doctor administers scopolamine to a patient before surgery.

Definition

Noun: A tropane alkaloid drug derived from plants of the nightshade family (such as Scopolia and Datura). It acts as a competitive antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, producing anticholinergic effects. Its primary medical uses include preventing nausea and vomiting (especially motion sickness), inducing sedation preoperatively, and causing mydriasis (pupil dilation) in ophthalmic procedures.

Usage Examples

• The doctor prescribed a scopolamine patch to prevent seasickness during the cruise.
• Scopolamine is sometimes administered before surgery due to its sedative and amnesic properties.
• In the past, scopolamine was infamously referred to as "truth serum," though its reliability for this purpose is highly questionable.

Advanced Usage

• Transdermal Delivery: Scopolamine is often administered via a patch applied to the skin behind the ear, providing a slow, steady release of the medication over several days to prevent motion sickness.
• Historical Context: Beyond its medical uses, scopolamine has a notorious history of being used criminally for its amnesic and compliant-inducing effects, leading to its street names like "Devil's Breath."

Variants and Related Words

• Hyoscine: This is a synonym for scopolamine; the terms are used interchangeably in medical contexts.
• Anticholinergic (adj/n): Describing the class of drugs or effects that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Scopolamine is a classic anticholinergic agent.
• Antiemetic (n): A substance that prevents vomiting. Scopolamine is a potent antiemetic.

Synonyms

• Hyoscine
• Anticholinergic agent (specific type)
• Antiemetic drug (specific type)

Related Phrases

• Scopolamine patch: The common transdermal delivery system for the drug.
• Scopolamine-induced amnesia: A state of memory impairment caused by the drug's effects on the central nervous system.

Notes on Different Meanings

The word "scopolamine" refers specifically to the chemical compound and its pharmaceutical applications. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative meanings. Its usage is almost exclusively confined to medical, pharmacological, and toxicological contexts.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an alkaloid with anticholinergic effects that is used as a sedative and to treat nausea and to dilate the pupils in ophthalmic procedures
   • transdermal scopolamine is used to treat motion sickness
   • someone sedated with scopolamine has difficulty lying

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hyoscine