Researchers Testing New Drugs Usually Give the Drug to One

question 38

Multiple Choice

Researchers testing new drugs usually give the drug to one group of people and give placebos, "sugar pills," to another group. The group receiving the placebo ________.

• A) is needed so that the test will be repeated enough times
• B) is the control group
• C) constitutes the experimental group
• D) is a backup in case some of the people getting the drug drop out of the test

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Definitions:

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

A diagnostic blood examination that determines the rate at which red blood cells descend to the bottom of a test tube, a process that signals the presence of inflammation within the body.

Anemia

A condition in which there is a deficiency of red cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness.

Sickle-Cell Thalassemia

A genetic disorder that affects hemoglobin within red blood cells, combining features of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, leading to chronic anemia and episodes of pain.

Acute Chest Syndrome

A severe lung complication in sickle cell disease, presenting with chest pain, fever, and respiratory distress.