Protective index
Protective Index
The Protective Index (proh-tek-tiv in-deks) is a term used in pharmacology to describe the ratio of the dose of a drug that causes a harmful effect to the dose that produces a therapeutic effect. It is a measure of the safety of a drug, with a higher protective index indicating a safer drug.
Etymology
The term "Protective Index" is derived from the English words "protective", meaning providing protection, and "index", meaning an indicator or measure. In the context of pharmacology, it refers to the measure of a drug's safety.
Related Terms
- Therapeutic Index: The therapeutic index is similar to the protective index, but it measures the difference between the therapeutic and toxic doses of a drug. A drug with a high therapeutic index is considered safer than a drug with a low therapeutic index.
- Therapeutic Window: The therapeutic window is the range of drug doses which can treat disease effectively while staying within the safety range. Outside of this window, the drug may be ineffective or toxic.
- Pharmacodynamics: Pharmacodynamics is the study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action.
- Pharmacokinetics: Pharmacokinetics is the study of how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Protective index
- Wikipedia's article - Protective index
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