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sulfa

sulfa

3 8.2
An antibiotic drug that stops bacteria from growing by using sulfonamide chemicals
  • noun
  • /ˈsʌlfə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sulfa
  • I covered the wound with sulfa, then put a bandage on it.
  • sulfa drugs
  • sulfa antibiotics
  • sulfa powder

And then sulfa drugs and penicillin and those sorts of things.

Examples

  • In 1945, there were no antibiotics, so large doses of sulfa were given, but sulfa could be toxic to someone who was allergic to it.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • But without his ideas about selective staining and magic bullets, sulfa antibiotics would never have been developed.

    Academic text (2010)
  • They have other drugs besides sulfa.

  • I had a serious allergic reaction to sulfa drugs, diagnosed as "flea bites" by three different doctors at the same clinic.

    Blog text (2)
  • All the sulfa, penicillin, enough splints and plaster to mend 100 broken bones.

  • The doctor recommended using sulfa to treat the bacterial infection on the patient's leg.

  • In the 1940s, sulfa drugs were revolutionary in fighting common infections.

  • After the surgery, the nurse applied sulfa ointment to prevent any bacterial growth.

Synonyms

sulfa drug
vssulfa
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A medicine that stops bacteria from growing to treat infections

details the specific mechanism by which they block bacterial use of PABA
sulfonamide
vssulfa
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A medicine that kills or stops the growth of some bacteria

is the clinical drug sense that emphasizes blocking bacterial use of PABA

Compounds

sulfa drug
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A medicine that stops bacteria from growing to treat infections

Surface Forms

sulfa singular
sulfas plural

Etymology

Sulfa comes from the chemical name sulfonamide, where the part sulf means 'sulfur'. These medicines were named for that sulfur part, so sulfa now refers to a group of antibiotics that contain sulfur and are used to stop bacterial infections.