Lesson plan

Side Effect

In medicine, a side effect is an unintended effect caused by a medicinal drug or other treatment's capacities or properties, and these effects are often adverse but sometimes beneficial. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually used for a specific effect may be used specifically because of a beneficial side-effect; this is termed "off-label use" until such use is approved. For instance, X-rays have long been used as an imaging technique; the discovery of their oncolytic capability led to their use in radiotherapy for ablation of malignant tumours.

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Article summary

In medicine, a side effect is an unintended effect caused by a medicinal drug or other treatment's capacities or properties, and these effects are often adverse but sometimes beneficial. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually used for a specific effect may be used specifically because of a beneficial side-effect; this is termed "off-label use" until such use is approved. For instance, X-rays have long been used as an imaging technique; the discovery of their oncolytic capability led to their use in radiotherapy for ablation of malignant tumours.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.