Fraction
Fraction (medicine)
Fraction (/frækʃən/), in the context of medicine, refers to a part of a whole, often used in the context of dosages or treatment schedules. The term originates from the Latin word fractus, meaning "broken".
Etymology
The term fraction is derived from the Latin fractus, which means "broken". This is a reference to the concept of dividing a whole into smaller parts.
Usage in Medicine
In medicine, a fraction is often used to describe a part of a whole dosage or treatment schedule. For example, a patient may be prescribed a fraction of a medication dose to be taken at different times throughout the day. Similarly, in radiation therapy, the total dose of radiation is often divided into smaller fractions that are delivered over a period of time. This approach is used to minimize side effects and maximize the effectiveness of the treatment.
Related Terms
- Dosage: The amount of medication prescribed to be taken at one time or over a period of time.
- Radiation therapy: A type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
- Therapeutic index: The ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutic dose of a drug, used as a measure of the relative safety of the drug for a particular treatment.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Fraction
- Wikipedia's article - Fraction
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