PEP
The abbreviation PEP stands for a number of things in medicine including post-exposure prophylaxis. Prophylaxis means a defense or protection.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, for example, might concern the treatment of a health care worker exposed by a needle stick to HIV with a drug such as AZT to protect them from being infected with HIV.
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- Peptic ulcer
An ulcer in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. Peptic ulcers affect millions of people in the US yearly. Ulcer formation is related to Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach, use of anti-inflammatory medications, and cigarette smoking. Peptic ulcer pain may not correlate with the presence or severity of ulceration. Complications of peptic […]
- Peptidase
An enzyme that can break down a peptide into its component amino acids.
- Peptide
A molecule consisting of 2 or more amino acids. Peptides are smaller than proteins, which are also chains of amino acids. Molecules small enough to be synthesized from the constituent amino acids are, by convention, called peptides rather than proteins. The dividing line is at about 50 amino acids. Depending on the number of amino […]
- Peptidomimetic
A compound that mimics the biological action of a peptide.
- Percentile
The percentage of individuals in a group who have achieved a certain quantity’such as height, weight, or head circumference’or a developmental milestone. For example, the fiftieth percentile for walking well is 12 months of age.