Dictionary

quotid See q.d.

Quintan fever See trench fever.

quinsy See peritonsillar abscess.

quinine An antimalarial agent. Quinine takes its name from the Peruvian Indian word for “bark of the tree,” referring to the cinchona tree from which quinine was obtained. Until World War I, quinine was the only effective treatment for malaria. In fact, quinine was the first chemical compound to be successfully used to treat an…

quinidine A medication (brand name: Cardioquin, Quinaglute, Quinalan, Quinidex, Quinora) that is prescribed to treat abnormal heart rhythms. Quinidine is derived from the same botanical source as quinine. Quinidine interacts with a number of other medications, particularly over-thecounter cold and cough remedies. See also quinine.

quinacrine 1 A drug that has been used to treat malaria as well as giardiasis. 2 In cytogenetics, a fluorescent dye used to stain chromosomes. See also malaria; plasmodium.

quiescent Inactive, resting. For example, tuberculosis can be a quiescent (inactive) infection.

quickening The moment during pregnancy when the baby is first felt to move.

Queensland tick typhus See typhus, Queensland tick.

quasi- Prefix meaning seemingly, as in quasidominant (seemingly dominant).

quarantine A period of isolation decreed to control the spread of infectious disease. Before the era of antibiotics and other medications, quarantine was one of the few available means for halting the spread of infectious diseases.

quantitative Having to do with quantity or with the amount. See also qualitative.