25,729 articles
Policy Making
Policy making: the decision process by which individuals, groups, or institutions establish policies for plans, programs, or procedures. Covers the policy cycle, rational and incremental (Lindblom) models, evidence-informed decision-making, participation, and crisis governance.
Policy surveillance
Policy surveillance is a study design in public health law research that systematically tracks and codes the content of laws across jurisdictions and over time, producing quantitative legal datasets for evaluation.
Polidexide sulfate
Polidexide sulfate (INN; also polydexide sulfate, brand Secholex) is a crosslinked dextran anion-exchange resin and bile acid sequestrant formerly used for hypercholesterolaemia in the UK, withdrawn in the mid-1970s over impurity-related safety concerns.
Polidocanol
Polidocanol (polyoxyl lauryl ether; Aethoxysklerol, Asclera, Varithena) is a non-ionic surfactant sclerosant used in liquid and foam form to treat varicose veins, spider veins, and hemorrhoids by destroying venous endothelium.
Poliglecaprone 25
Poliglecaprone 25 (Monocryl, Ethicon, 1993) is a synthetic absorbable monofilament suture of glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone for soft tissue and subcuticular closure, retaining about 30% strength at 2 weeks and fully absorbing in 91-119 days.
Polihexanide
Polihexanide (polyhexamethylene biguanide, PHMB) is a cationic biguanide polymer antiseptic active against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses; it is the active substance of Akantior, the first EU-authorized medicine for Acanthamoeba keratitis (2024).
Polio
Polio (poliomyelitis), caused by poliovirus, a paralytic disease of children; IPV (Salk, 1955) and OPV (Sabin) vaccines cut cases over 99% since 1988; only wild type 1 remains, endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Polio eradication
Polio eradication: the GPEI (since 1988) campaign to eliminate wild poliovirus types 1–3 and vaccine-derived outbreaks; WPV2 and WPV3 certified eradicated, WPV1 endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with cVDPV2 outbreaks managed using nOPV2.
Polio eradication in Nigeria
Polio eradication in Nigeria is the national component of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Nigeria's last wild polio case was in 2016, though vaccine-derived poliovirus continues to circulate.
Polio vaccine
Polio vaccine: IPV (Salk, licensed 12 April 1955) and OPV (Sabin, 1961–1963) protect against poliomyelitis; IPV-only in the US since 2000, wild types 2 and 3 eradicated, type 1 endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Poliomyelitis vaccine multidose
Poliomyelitis vaccine multidose (IPV, FVP-P-283) is a WHO-prequalified trivalent inactivated polio vaccine from Bilthoven Biologicals, Netherlands, licensed RVG 114720 in 2014; 5-dose 2.5 mL vials, 40:8:32 DU Salk strains, 28-day open-vial use.
Poliomyelitis vaccine novel oral type 2
nOPV2 (novel oral poliovirus vaccine type 2) is a genetically stabilized live attenuated oral vaccine derived from Sabin 2, WHO's preferred tool against cVDPV2 outbreaks; EUL-listed November 2020, prequalified December 2023, about 1 billion doses used.
Poliomyelitis vaccine, bivalent types 1 and 3
Bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), types 1 and 3, live attenuated Sabin strains given as 2 oral drops; replaced trivalent OPV worldwide in April–May 2016 after wild poliovirus type 2 eradication, with one IPV dose added.
Poliomyelitis vaccine, type 1 and 3
Bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV), types 1 and 3: live attenuated Sabin oral polio vaccine licensed 2009, replacing trivalent OPV worldwide in 2016; vaccine of choice against WPV1 and cVDPV1/3 outbreaks.
Poliosis
Poliosis (poliosis circumscripta, white forelock) is a localized patch of white hair from absent melanin in affected follicles, a clinical sign linked to piebaldism, Waardenburg syndrome, vitiligo, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, melanoma, and medications.
Poliovax
Poliovax (Poliovirus Vaccine Inactivated, Human Diploid Cell), BLA 103940, Sanofi: FDA-approved February 24, 2000; MRC-5 cell-grown injectable IPV; discontinued September 14, 2011.
Poliovirus vaccine inactivated
Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), the Salk vaccine, an injectable formalin-killed trivalent polio vaccine licensed in 1955; no VAPP risk, low gut immunity, used in the US since 2000.
Polish plait
Polish plait, or plica polonica, is a rare condition in which scalp hair twists and mats irreversibly into a hard, compact mass, usually treated by cutting it out.
Pollakiuria
Pollakiuria (pollakisuria), from Greek pollakis "often," is abnormally frequent urination with small voided volumes and normal daily output; distinguished from polyuria (>3 L/day), common in children as benign daytime frequency syndrome.
Polmacoxib
Polmacoxib (CG100649, Acelex) is a first-in-class NSAID dual inhibitor of COX-2 and carbonic anhydrase I/II, approved for osteoarthritis in South Korea (2015) and India (2023), dosed 2 mg daily.
Poly(2-oxazoline) drug conjugates
Poly(2-oxazoline) drug conjugates are polymer therapeutics in which drugs are attached to POx carrier polymers, improving solubility and tumor accumulation; developed as PEG alternatives, their clinical lead SER-252 targets Parkinson's disease.
Polyarteritis nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), also periarteritis nodosa, Kussmaul-Maier disease: rare ANCA-negative necrotizing vasculitis of medium-sized arteries, first described 1866; treated with glucocorticoids plus cyclophosphamide in severe disease; HBV-associated and DADA2 forms now separated.
Polyarticular rheumatoid-factor-negative juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Polyarticular rheumatoid-factor-negative juvenile idiopathic arthritis (RF-negative pJIA) is a subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in which arthritis affects five or more joints and rheumatoid factor tests are negative.
Polycentric four-bar knee
A polycentric four-bar knee is a prosthetic knee joint for above-knee amputees in which a four-bar linkage replaces the single hinge, giving stance stability and better toe clearance.
Polychemotherapy
Polychemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with several chemotherapy drugs given together in a single regimen; regimens like CHOP are named by acronyms built from drug names.
Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia
Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia, or polyclonal gammopathy (ICD-11 4B21), is a reactive rise in immunoglobulins from many plasma cell clones, seen as a broad gamma band on electrophoresis, caused mainly by liver disease, autoimmunity, infection, and IgG4-related disease.
Polyclonal hyperviscosity syndrome
Polyclonal hyperviscosity syndrome, a rare hematologic disorder (ORPHA 450322, ICD-10 D89.0) in which polyclonal immunoglobulin expansion raises serum viscosity, causing bleeding, retinal hemorrhage, and neurologic symptoms; linked to Sjögren, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, and IgG4-related disease.
Polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder in which numerous fluid-filled cysts grow in the kidneys, enlarging them, reducing function, and often leading to kidney failure.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) and formerly Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is a hormonal disorder of women, marked by excess androgens, irregular periods, and infertility.
Polycystin 1
Polycystin 1 (PC1) is a large membrane protein encoded by the PKD1 gene that forms a ciliary complex with polycystin 2, and whose loss causes most cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.