Talk:Prophylaxis

The
The dude is right, the pageon prophylaxis seems a little incomplete moreover this page has just 2 line so, it wld be good to do so

We should also mention other forms of treatment regimen.

Prophylaxis being treatment before getting a disease. There must be other classes. These should be linked from the page.

Here primary prophylaxis is really the main subject being discussed, so it would sound irreevant to have secondary prophylaxis under the same heading! It should be treated on its own, maybe a link should be provided at the end of the page, that directs readers to secondary prophylaxis! Regards

Regarding the opening paragraph:

"Prophylaxis (Greek "προφυλάσσω" to guard or prevent beforehand) is any medical or public health procedure whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure a disease. Roughly, prophylactic measures are divided between primary prophylaxis (to prevent the development of a disease) and secondary prophylaxis (whereby the disease has already developed and the patient is protected against worsening of this process)." (italics my own)

It doesn't make sense to say that prophylaxis is to prevent rather than treat or cure disease and that secondary prophylaxis is a procedure put into place when the disease has already developed. If the disease has already developed, it cannot be prevented. In addition, "protecting against the worsening of this process" is treating. Perhaps prophylaxis is primarily the process whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure disease?

While I understand the preceding argument, I disagree. Once a disease has occurred it does make sense to consider treatment that prevents other symptoms from occurring as prophylactic. An example might be oral lichen planus. It is a disease that on its own causes great discomfort in the mouth of the sufferer. It can be treated in a number of ways. The condition can also lead to cancer in some cases. While the patient may receive treatment to conquer lichen planus, prophylactic treatment can also be given that could prevent other, and potentially more serious, conditions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.150.33.48 (talk) 16:59, 23 October 2008 (UTC)