A Patient Should Be Discouraged from Using Echinacea to Help

question 20

Multiple Choice

A patient should be discouraged from using echinacea to help reduce the duration of colds if he or she is using

• A) anticoagulant drugs to prevent formation of blood clots.
• B) immunosuppressant drugs after organ transplantation.
• C) oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy.
• D) oral hypoglycemic agents for treatment of diabetes.

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Definitions:

Repolarization

The process of restoring the resting negative charge inside the cell membrane after depolarization, crucial for the propagation of electrical signals in nerve and muscle cells.

Action Potential

A rapid change in the electrical charge across a cell membrane that results in a nerve or muscle cell firing.

Positive Feedback Cycle

A process where the end products of an action cause more of that action to occur in a feedback loop, amplifying the original action.

Sodium-Potassium Exchange Pump

A membrane-bound enzyme complex that pumps sodium out of cells while pumping potassium into cells, crucial for maintaining cellular concentration and electrical gradients.