Skip to main content
methenamine

methenamine

1 9.8
A medicine that prevents urinary tract infections by killing bacteria
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛθəˈnæmiːn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metenamina
  • Methenamine is an effective treatment for urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties.
  • methenamine silver
  • methenamine silver stain

Examples

  • The acid-fast stain for mycobacteria and the Gomori methenamine silver stain were negative.

    Academic text (2008)
  • This same otherwise healthy girl had a sufficient quantity of P. carinii in her lungs to show up on Gomori methenamine silver staining at her autopsy.

    Blog text (29)
  • Grocott methenamine-silver and acid-fast stains were negative for fungal and mycobacterial organisms, respectively.

    Academic text (2005)
  • B: Cut section of a blood vessel shows the black hyphae (arrow) with angioinvasion (Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver, original magnification x 400).

    Academic text (2004)
  • A Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver nitrate stain demonstrated broad aseptate hyphae with obtuse-angle branching.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Special stains performed for fungal organisms (Gomori's methenamine silver, periodic acid-Schiff) and acid-fast organisms (Kinyoun's carbol-fuchsin) were negative.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Pneumocystis carinii was found in Eliza Jane's lungs by Gomori methenamine silver staining in association with pink foamy casts in the alveoli.

    Blog text (29)
  • Doctors often prescribe methenamine to help eliminate infections in the urinary tract.

  • The patient was advised to take methenamine to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.

Synonyms

Urex
vsmethenamine
  • Specialized
8.6

A medicine that kills bacteria and treats urinary tract infections

is the common crystalline antibacterial compound used chiefly to treat urinary infections
Mandelamine
vsmethenamine
  • Specialized
9.9

A medicine that kills bacteria to treat urinary tract infections

is the nonbranded crystalline antibacterial compound used mainly for those infections
hexamine
vsmethenamine
  • Specialized
8.4

A medicine that prevents or treats infections in the bladder

is the crystalline antibacterial mainly used to treat urinary infections rather than prevent them
hexamethylenetetramine
vsmethenamine
  • Specialized
9.9

A white crystal used in labs and as a medicine to treat urinary tract infections

is the medical antibacterial term focused on treating urinary infections rather than lab use

Surface Forms

methenamine singular
methenamines plural

Morphology

methenamine = amine (opaque) = methen + amine

The combining form 'methen-' is not a standalone English morpheme and the medical/antibacterial meaning of 'methenamine' is not predictable from 'amine' for average learners.

Etymology

The word methenamine is built from parts that tell you what it is: meth- (as in methane) points to a very small carbon part, and -amine (as in amino) means it has a nitrogen group. So the name fits: it describes a small nitrogen chemical used as a medicine to help prevent bladder infections.