MedicalToday

Definition
Bad breath, also called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Usually it is due to poor hygiene, but it can be an indication of underlying health problems.

Description
Bad breath is likely to be experienced by most adults and many children, at least occasionally. Some people are strongly convinced that bad breath is present when it is not. Bad breath can have a significant impact on a person’s social and professional life.

Smoking is an important and preventable cause of death and illness. However, as more money has been spent on smoking cessation programs, the incidence of cigarette smoking has risen. In 2002, 48 percent of men and 12 percent of women in the world were smokers (World Health Organization).

Pharmacology.
Ifosfamide is a structural analogue of the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (CTX). The rate of hepatic conversion of ifosfamide to the active metabolite 4-hydroxyifosfamide is slightly slower than with CTX, although formation of the bladder toxin acrolein is not reduced. The ultimate metabolite ifosforamide mustard cross-links DNA to impair cell division. The drug is always given with mesna to prevent urotoxicity. Although labeled for use in refractory testicular cancer, ifosfamide also has useful activity against soft tissue sarcoma, malignant lymphoma, and small cell lung cancer. Ifosfamide is cell-cycle phase nonspecific.

Pharmacology.

Codeine is 3-methoxymorphine, a phenanthrene opioid with very low affinity for opioid receptors. Its analgesic activity appears to result from conversion to morphine. Poor metabolizers of debrisoquine/sparteine (approximately 7% of the Caucasian population) cannot convert appreciable amounts of codeine to morphine or obtain analgesia from codeine but are still subject to the same adverse effects.

Administration and Adult Dosage.

PO, SC, or IM for analgesia 15-60 mg q 4-6 hr.

Pharmacology.
Cisplatin is a planar coordinate dichlorodiamino compound of platinum in the +II valence state. It is aquated in vivo to a positively charged species that can alkylate nucleophilic sites in DNA such as purine and pyrimidine bases. Its action is cell-cycle phase nonspecific.

Administration and Adult Dosage.
IV bolus or continuous infusion (usually with aggressive hydration) single doses of up to 120 mg/m2 have been used.
IV in the Einhorn testicular cancer regimen 20 mg/m2/day for 5 days.