Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.

com

Medical Language
First of all, I will start with a request,
All of you Must have a Medical Dictionary.

If you are in this Scientific Profession of Pharma Marketing, then you have to know & learn the language which your
clients speak. There is no other way; if you can’t talk to your consumer – a Doctor, in his language, then you can’t do
this job.

So let us understand what it is all about.

Human Body is one of the most complicated biological wonder.

We are a collection of 3 trillion cells!
We began our life as a single cell embryo in our mother’s womb by the union of our father’s sperm and our mother’s
ovum both carrying 23 chromosomes each in which was contained our DNA – deoxyribose nucleic acid. This DNA
decides everything for us. It has coding for every unique feature which we have, the color of our skin, eyes, hair, our
height weight, muscularity, sexuality, future possible diseases, metabolism etc. DNA controls all the functions of
each and every cell.
From that one cell embryo, we started developing in the uterus. The embryo multiplied rapidly and cells began to
differentiate into specialized cells, some forming Neurons, some Blood, some GIT, some Respiratory, some Skin etc.
This all is at all stages controlled by the DNA present in each cells chromosomes in their nucleus. So finally we
developed various body systems performing specialized functions, as people in a country have different jobs to
mutually coexist & support each other.

These Systems are-

Skin
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Blood
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal tract GIT
Cardiovascular system CVS
Central Nervous System CNS
Excretory or Urinary Tract
Reproductive System
Skeletal system
Muscular system
Endocrine system

Studying all these systems in detail will be very extensive and will require at least 3-4 years of continuous medical
education. This is beyond the scope for us, so we will restrict our knowledge to the common things which we should
know for a basic knowledge.
Please understand that medico-marketing is a unique scenario where the consumer – a Dr, knows more about the
subject than the seller – an MR.

Skin
Skin is the covering of our body. It is protective in nature and prevents entry of harmful things like infective
organisms. It also helps in temperature regulation by sweating when the body is warm and by piloerection – (baal
khade ho jaana) when the body is cold.
Skin of our body changes all over in about 3 weeks.
It has 2 layers Epidermis of a layer of mainly dead cells and Dermis which is mainly the live and active part. There
are Sweat glands and Sebaceous (oil producing) glands and Hairs in it. There are also Nerve endings by which we
feel touch, pressure, temperature and pain.

Below the skin is a layer of Connective tissue having fatty adipose tissue, blood vessels and fibers. These connect the
skin to the underlying layer of muscles.
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Folliculitis – Infection of the hair follicle, commonly called a boil

Cellulitis – Infection involving the live cells and tissue of epidermis & dermis.
SSTI – skin & soft tissue infection.
SSSI – skin & soft structure infection.
Complicated SSTI – when skin infection extends deep to the connective tissue and involves the muscles or bones
etc.

Mucosa
Mucosa is the inner lining of our Respiratory, GIT & Genito – Urinary tracts. Called Mucosa because it continuously
produces Mucous which is a thick slimy liquid having different properties at different locations. Mucosa and Mucous
are protective in nature and the flow of mucous out of the body, takes away any harmful organisms.

Blood
Oh yes, Blood is a system in itself.
It has a liquid called Plasma, which contains water, various electrolytes (salts), proteins like albumin to maintain
tonicity and to be used for various tissue building needs and globulin to give us immunity or resistance against
harmful organisms and toxins, glucose to be supplied as fuel to each and every cell of our body, fats to be stored or
used in various functions, hormones which act as remote controls to various body organs where they act, and all the
waste materials produced by each and every cell of our body for removal.

RBC – red blood cells – transport oxygen as attached to hemoglobin, from lungs to each and every cell of body.
WBC – are of various types, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Basophils, Eosinophils etc. All are useful for immunity and
resistance to fight against various harmful micro-organisms.
Platelets – are cells which form a blood clot along with fibrin as a result of activation of clotting factors present in
blood due to tissue/blood vessel injury.

• Anemia – low Hemoglobin conc

• Neutrophilia – increased neutrophils
• Leucocytosis – increased leucocytes
• Neutropenia – low neutrophils
• Bacteremia – bacteria in blood
• Septicemia – bacteria & Toxins in blood
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Respiratory System
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

• Upper Respiratory – above Larynx

• Lower Respiratory – below Larynx
• Sinusitis – inflammation of Sinuses
• Otitis Media – inflammation of Middle Ear
• Pharyngitis – Inflammation of Pharynx
• Tonsillitis - Inflammation of Tonsils
• Laryngitis - Inflammation of Larynx
• Bronchitis - Inflammation of Bronchi
• AECB – Acute (sudden) exacerbation (increased severity) of Chronic (long standing) Bronchitis –(usually
allergic/Irritational)
• Bronchiolitis – Inflammation of Bronchioles
• Pneumonitis – Pneumonia – Alveolitis – Inflammation of Lung Parenchyma
• Pleuritis – Pleurasy – Inflammation of Pleura (membrane covering the Lungs

Gastrointestinal tract GIT

• Stomatitis – Stoma – mouth – oral opening
• Glossitis - tongue
• Gingivitis - gums
• Sialo-Adenitis – salivary glands
• Oesophagitis – oesophagus – food pipe
• GERD – GORD –due to reflux of acidic contents of stomach into the oesophagus
• APD – Acid Peptic Disease
• Gastritis - stomach
• Peptic Ulcer – Gastric/Duodenal
• Hepatitis - Liver
• Cholecystitis – Gall Bladder
• Cholangitis – Biliary ducts
• Pancreatitis - pancreas
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

• Appendicitis - appendix
• Colitis – colon – large intestine
• AGE – Acute Gastroenteritis
• Peritonitis – peritoneum – covering of abdominal organs
• Intestinal Flora – bacteria normally living in intestine as co-existence and helping themselves & us
• AAD – Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea

Cardiovascular system CVS

We shall be discussing this system separately.

Central Nervous System CNS

Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

• Meningitis – meninges – coverings of Brain

• Encephalitis – encephalon - Brain
• Encephalomyelitis – Brain + Spinal cord
• Neuritis - Nerve
• Neuralgia – nerve pain
• Radiculopathy – nerve root disease

Excretory or Urinary Tract

Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

• UTI – urinary tract infection

• Uncomplicated – only bladder & urethra
• Complicated – ureter, kidney, or bladder & urethra with a structural or functional abnormality
• Ureteritis – ureter (above baladder)
• Uretheritis – urethra (below bladder)
• Cystitis – Bladder
• Nephritis - Kidney
• Pyelonephritis – infection of kidney

Reproductive System
Male
• Orchitis - Testes
• Epididymitis – tube emerging from testes carrying sperms
• Epididymo-orchitis – testes & epididymis
• Prostatitis – Prostate – gland producing seminal fluid, below bladder, surrounding urethra
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Female
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

• Vulvo-Vaginitis – Vulva (female external genital opening) Vagina ( female external genital tract)
• Cervicitis – lower part of Uterus opening in vagina
• Endometritis – Endometrium - inner lining of uterus
• Salpingitis – Fallopian tubes
• Oophoritis - Ovary
• PID – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – endometritis + salpingitis + inflammation of surrounding pelvic
structures

Skeletal system
• Osteitis - bone
• Osteomyelitis – bone marrow
• Osteoporosis – weakening of bones due to loss of mineral ( Calcium ) content
• Osteoarthritis – bone & joint at joint

Muscular system

• Hypertrophy – increase in size &/or strength

• Atrophy – decrease in size & strength
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Endocrine system
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Explanations
Creatinine Clearance
When only serum creatinine is available, the following formula (Cockcroft and Gault equation)5 may be used to estimate creatinine clearance.

Males: Creatinine Clearance (mL/min)= Weight (kg) x (140 - age)

72 x serum creatinine (mg/dL)
Females: 0.85 x above value

Normal Creatinine clearance >60ml/min

If <60ml/min, it suggests impaired Renal function and drugs excreted by kidneys in urine may require dose reduction.
In non-end-stage renal disease, changes in renal drug clearance are generally proportional to those in creatinine
clearance, which may be measured directly or estimated from the serum creatinine. This estimate, coupled with the
knowledge of how much drug is normally excreted renally vs nonrenally, allows an estimate of the dose adjustment
required. In practice, most decisions involving dosing adjustment in patients with renal failure use published
recommended adjustments in dosage or dosing interval based on the severity of renal dysfunction indicated by
creatinine clearance.

Liver Function Abnormality

A basic test is SGOT & SGPT (or AST & ALT) estimation.
If more than 3 times Upper Limit of Normal (>3times ULN), drugs metabolized by the Liver may need a dose
reduction.
In contrast to the predictable decline in renal clearance of drugs in renal insufficiency, the effects of diseases like
hepatitis or cirrhosis on drug disposition range from impaired to increased drug clearance, in an unpredictable
fashion. Standard tests of liver function are not useful in adjusting doses.

CYP450
Drugs that induce liver microsomal enzymes (cytochrome P- 450) such as phenobarbital, rifampin, phenytoin may
accelerate the elimination of drugs which are metabolized by CYP450.

Drugs that inhibit the activity of liver microsomal enzymes, such as cimetidine and ketoconazole, may prolong the
half-life and decrease the plasma clearance of drugs which are metabolized by CYP450.
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Pharmacokinetics

Plasma Protein Binding

For drugs that are normally highly bound to plasma proteins (>90%), small changes in the extent of binding produce
a large change in the amount of unbound drug, and hence drug effect.
Dr Vivek Sullere MD 99811-70705 drsullere@yahoo.com

Treatment
Prophylactic – for Prevention
Therapeutic – for Treatment
Emperical – Treatment based on scientific medical knowledge and experience.
Evidence based – Treatment based on confirmed test reports showing presence of a disease/infection (ex: routine
microscopy, culture & sensitivity, antigen/antibody assays by immunoflourescence or ELISA, polymerase chain
reaction – PCR etc)

Infection
Nosocomial / Hospital Acquired – Infection acquired from hospital, generally by serious, Resistant microorganisms
(like – Pseudomonas, Proteus, Klebsiela, E. coli etc) and these are difficult to treat.
Community Acquired – Infection acquired in community, generally routine communicable disease, usually by Non-
Resistant microorganisms.

Acute – Infection appearing suddenly.

Chronic – Infection having a long course.
Concurrent – the existence of two or more infections at the same time.
Cross – Infection transmitted between patients infected with different microorganisms.
Endogenous – Infection due to reactivation of organisms present in a dormant focus. (ex: TB – Tuberculosis, Herpes
zoster etc).
Exogenous – Infection caused by organisms not present in body but have gained entrance from the environment.
Mixed – Infection caused by two or more different microorganisms.
Opportunistic – Infection caused by an organism that ordinarily does not cause disease but becomes pathogenic
under certain circumstances, like immunodeficiency.
Recurrence/Relapse – Infection returning/recurring after a Remission/apparent recovery – [diminution (reduction) or
abatement (stoppage) of the symptoms of a disease].
Super-infection – New Infection occurring in a patient having a preexisting infection (ex: bacterial super-infection in
a viral respiratory disease).
Secondary – Infection by a second pathogen after infection by another pathogen of a different kind.