Human health and medicine

Pronator drift

Pronator drift is a bedside neurological examination maneuver in which pronation and downward drift of one outstretched arm indicate a contralateral upper motor neuron lesion.

Prone position

Prone position: lying face down, opposite of supine. Used surgically for posterior spine access and therapeutically in ARDS, where over 12 hours daily proning reduces mortality in severe cases.

Prone ventilation

Prone ventilation is a critical care technique in which ventilated patients with respiratory failure are turned face-down to improve oxygenation, reducing mortality in severe ARDS.

Oct 20, 2026

Pronetalol (pronethalol, nethalide, Alderlin) was the first clinically useful beta-blocker, developed by James Black at ICI, launched in 1963, and withdrawn after causing thymic tumors in mice; propranolol replaced it.

PROOF study

PROOF study (PROgnostic indicator OF cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events; NCT00759304): French prospective cohort of 1,011 people aged 65 in Saint-Étienne testing whether autonomic nervous system activity predicts cardiovascular events, AF, hypertension, and mortality.

Propamidine

Propamidine, also known by the brand name Brolene, is an aromatic diamidine antiseptic used topically, most commonly in 0.1% eye drops for minor eye and eyelid infections.

Propanidid

Propanidid (Epontol, Fabontol/Fabontal) is a eugenol-derived, ultra-short-acting intravenous general anesthetic acting as a GABA_A positive allosteric modulator. First non-barbiturate IV anesthetic, introduced in Europe in the 1960s and withdrawn after Cremophor EL-linked anaphylaxis; never marketed in the United States.

Propantheline

Propantheline (Pro-Banthine) is a synthetic quaternary ammonium antimuscarinic approved by the FDA in 1953, used as adjunctive peptic ulcer therapy and for hyperhidrosis; US brand discontinued.

Propatyl nitrate

Propatyl nitrate (propatylnitrate, ETTN, Etrynit, WIN 9317) is a trinitrate ester organic nitrate vasodilator (C6H11N3O9, ATC C01DA07) used for angina pectoris, releasing nitric oxide via ALDH2 bioactivation; distinct from nitroglycerin and isosorbide nitrates.

PROPEL trial (NCT02561221)

PROPEL (NCT02561221), the PROmoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary CarE in Louisiana trial, was a PCORI-funded cluster-randomized trial of 18 Louisiana clinics and 803 patients with obesity; health-coach lifestyle intervention produced 4.99% versus 0.48% weight loss at 24 months.

PROPER trial

PROPER (NCT04674254) is a Cairo University randomized open-label trial comparing intravitreal bevacizumab with fluorescein-angiography-guided targeted retinal photocoagulation in proliferative diabetic retinopathy, measuring macular capillary vascular density and foveal avascular zone change by OCT angiography over 12 months.

Properdin deficiency

Properdin deficiency (X-linked, OMIM 312060) is a rare complement immunodeficiency causing fulminant meningococcal disease in males; types I–III, ~33% mortality, treated with vaccination and antibiotics.

Prophylactic cranial irradiation

Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is preventive whole-brain radiotherapy that lowers the risk of brain metastases, chiefly in small-cell lung cancer, standard at 25 Gy in 10 fractions.

Prophylactic mastectomy

Prophylactic mastectomy is the removal of one or both breasts that do not contain cancer, done to reduce risk, cutting incidence by roughly 90 to 95% in high-risk women.

Prophylactic oophorectomy

Prophylactic oophorectomy, now termed risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, is removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes in cancer-free carriers of BRCA variants, recommended around ages 35 to 45.

Prophylactic Surgical Procedures

Prophylactic surgery, also called risk-reducing or preventive surgery, removes organs such as breasts, ovaries, colon, or thyroid before cancer develops, mainly in carriers of BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome, FAP, or MEN2 genetic risk.

Propiolactone

Beta-propiolactone (BPL, CAS 57-57-8, 2-oxetanone), a strained four-membered ring lactone; colorless liquid used as a viral inactivating agent in influenza and rabies vaccines and as an acrylic acid intermediate; IARC Group 2B carcinogen.

Propiomazine

Propiomazine (Propavan, Largon, Indorm) is a phenothiazine hypnotic and sedative, ATC N05CM06, acting via H1 antagonism; used for short-term insomnia treatment and perioperative sedation, approved 1960, now mainly Swedish.

Propiverine

Propiverine (Mictonorm, Mictoryl) is an antimuscarinic and calcium-antagonistic detrusor relaxant for overactive bladder, neurogenic detrusor overactivity, and male storage LUTS, dosed 15 mg IR twice daily or 30–45 mg ER once daily.

Propofol

Propofol, also known as Diprivan and the milk of amnesia, is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic used for general anesthesia and intensive care sedation since 1986.

Propoxycaine

Propoxycaine (CAS 86-43-1) is a discontinued ester-type local anesthetic, C16H26N2O3, once combined with procaine in dental cartridges (Ravocaine) and withdrawn from the US market in 1996.

Propranolol

Propranolol (Inderal) is a nonselective beta blocker developed by James Black at ICI, 1958–1964, introduced 1965 as the first clinically useful beta blocker; used for angina, hypertension, arrhythmia, migraine, and tremor; Nobel Prize 1988.

Proprioception

Proprioception (Sherrington's term, 1906) is the body-position, movement, and force sense from muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs, joint, and skin receptors; tested by TTDPM, JPR, AMEDA, and trainable for sport.

Propylthiouracil

Propylthiouracil (PTU, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil) is a thionamide antithyroid drug, FDA-approved since 1947, that inhibits thyroid hormone synthesis and T4-to-T3 conversion; reserved for methimazole intolerance and first-trimester pregnancy due to hepatotoxicity risk.

Propyphenazone

Propyphenazone (4-isopropylantipyrine, CAS 479-92-5) is a non-acidic pyrazolone NSAID analgesic and antipyretic introduced in 1951, used mainly in combination products, with COX and TRPA1 activity and hematological and IgE-mediated hypersensitivity risks.

Oct 20, 2026

PROQUAP trial

PROQUAP (NCT02114840) is a Chilean randomized trial by Universidad de La Frontera comparing preservation, repair, and non-repair of the pronator quadratus muscle during volar plating of distal radius fractures, with 150 planned participants.

ProSa-I trial

ProSa-I (PROSA, NCT04803188), a Rome single-center randomized trial at Sapienza/Policlinico Umberto I, tested non-contrast biparametric MRI versus PSA-based screening; MRI-first doubled clinically significant prostate cancer detection (4.6% vs 1.8%).

Prosopagnosia

Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, is difficulty recognizing facial identity despite normal vision. It occurs as acquired (stroke, head injury, Alzheimer's) or developmental forms affecting about 2% of people, often hereditary, with no treatment but compensatory strategies.