dose rate

rate (rāt) the speed or frequency with which an event or circumstance occurs per unit of time, population, or other standard of comparison.

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basal metabolic rate  an expression of the rate at which oxygen is used by body cells, or the calculated equivalent heat production by the body, in a fasting subject at complete rest. Abbreviated BMR.

birth rate  the number of births in a specified area during a defined period for the total population, often further qualified as to which portion of the population is being examined.

case fatality rate  the ratio of the number of deaths caused by a specified disease to the number of diagnosed cases of that disease.

circulation rate  the amount of blood pumped through the body by the heart per unit time.

death rate  an expression of the number of deaths in a population at risk during one year. The crude death r. is the ratio of the number of deaths to the total population of an area; the age-specific death r. is the ratio of the number of deaths in a specific age group to the number of persons in that age group; the cause-specific death r. is the ratio of the number of deaths due to a specified cause to the total population.

dose rate  the amount of any agent administered per unit of time.

erythrocyte sedimentation rate  (ESR) the rate at which erythrocytes sediment from a well-mixed specimen of venous blood, as measured by the distance that the top of a column of erythrocytes falls in a specified time interval under specified conditions.

fatality rate  case fatality r.

fertility rate  a measure of fertility in a specified population over a specified period of time, particularly the general fertility r., the number of live births in a geographic area in a year per 1000 women of childbearing age.

fetal death rate  the ratio of the number of fetal deaths in one year to the total number of both live births and fetal deaths in that year.

five-year survival rate  an expression of the number of survivors with no trace of disease five years after each has been diagnosed or treated for the same disease.

glomerular filtration rate  (GFR) an expression of the quantity of glomerular filtrate formed each minute in the nephrons of both kidneys, usually measured by the rate of clearance of creatinine.

growth rate  an expression of the increase in size of an organic object per unit of time.

heart rate  the number of contractions of the cardiac ventricles per unit of time.

incidence rate  the probability of developing a particular disease during a given period of time; the numerator is the number of new cases during the specified time period and the denominator is the population at risk during the period.

morbidity rate  an inexact term that can mean either the incidence rate or the prevalence rate.

mortality rate  death r.

prevalence rate  the number of people in a population who have a disease at a given time: the numerator is the number of existing cases of disease at a specified time and the denominator is the total population.

pulse rate  the number of pulsations noted in a peripheral artery per unit of time.

respiration rate  the number of movements of the chest wall per unit of time, indicative of inhalation and exhalation.

sedimentation rate  the rate at which a sediment is deposited in a given volume of solution, especially when subjected to the action of a centrifuge.

stillbirth rate  fetal death r.

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dose rate,

the amount of delivered radiation absorbed per unit time.

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dose

the quantity to be administered at one time, as a specified amount of medication or a given quantity of radiation.

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absorbed dose

that amount of energy from ionizing radiations absorbed per unit mass of matter, expressed in Grays.

air dose

the intensity of an x- or gamma-ray beam in air, expressed in coulombs per kilogram.

booster dose

an amount of immunogen (vaccine, toxoid or other antigen preparation), sometimes smaller than the original amount, injected at an appropriate interval after primary immunization to enhance and sustain the immune response to that immunogen.

curative dose (CD)

a dose that is sufficient to restore normal health.

divided dose

a fraction of the total quantity of a drug prescribed to be given at intervals, usually during a 24-hour period.

dose equivalent limits

the limits of ionizing radiation set for radiation workers and the general public by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. For radiology workers this limit for the whole body is 50 mSv.

fatal dose

lethal dose.

dose fractions

in radiation therapy, the small doses given to reach the total radiation dose during the treatment period.

infectious dose 50 (ID₅₀)

that amount of pathogenic microorganisms that will produce infection in 50% of the test subjects.

infective dose (ID)

that amount of pathogenic microorganisms that will cause infection in susceptible subjects.

lethal dose (LD)

the amount of toxin or drug that will kill an animal.

dose level

the amount administered per unit of body weight.

loading dose

the initial large dose of a drug given to bring tissue and fluid levels to an effective concentration quickly. Called also priming dose.

maintenance dose

the smaller doses given to maintain effective levels in body fluids and tissues after the loading dose has achieved the concentration desired.

maximum permissible dose

see dose equivalent limits (above).

median curative dose (CD₅₀)

a dose that abolishes signs in 50% of test animals.

median effective dose (MED)

the dose that produces the desired effect in 50% of the test animals.

median lethal dose (MD₅₀)

the quantity of an agent that will kill 50% of the test subjects; in radiology, the amount of radiation that will kill, within a specified period, 50% of individuals in a large group or population.

minimum lethal dose (MLD)

the lowest dose which kills all of the test subjects.

dose rate

the amount administered per unit of time.

dose response

1. the incremental change in the subject per unit of additional dose. The response as a function of the dose.

2. the frequency of occurrence of a disease as the intake of the suspected risk factor increases. The relationship is expressed by the proximity of the illustrative curve to the expected relationship.

skin dose

1. the air dose of radiation at the skin surface, comprising the primary radiation plus backscatter.

2. the absorbed dose in the skin.

tolerance dose

the largest quantity of an agent that may be administered without harm.

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dose rate

Therapeutics The amount of drug administered per unit time, without regard to frequency of intermittent dosing. See Bioavailability, Clearance.