therapeutic ratio

an index relating the clinical effectiveness of a drug to its safety factor, calculated by dividing the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) by the median effective dose (ED₅₀). A drug is often considered safe only if its therapeutic ratio is at least 10. [introduced by German bacteriologist and immunologist Paul Ehrlich (1854–1915)]

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

health–belief model

a model that identifies the relationships of the following issues to the likelihood of taking preventive health action: (a) individual perceptions about susceptibility to and seriousness of a disease, (b) sociodemographic variables, (c) environmental cues, and (d) perceptions of the benefits and costs. See also exercise–behavior model.