How to Pronounce Oxazepam (Serax)
How do you pronounce Oxazepam?
Oxazepam is pronounced “ox-AZ-e-pam”. It has 4 syllables: ox ‑ az ‑ e ‑ pam. The stress falls on the second syllable, “az”. The initial “ox” is pronounced like the animal, not like a long “oh” sound.
How many syllables are in Oxazepam?
Oxazepam has 4 syllables: ox ‑ az ‑ e ‑ pam.
What is Oxazepam used for?
Oxazepam (Serax) is a short-acting benzodiazepine used for anxiety disorders, tension, agitation, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Its clinical importance lies in its hepatic safety: unlike most benzodiazepines, oxazepam undergoes only glucuronide conjugation for metabolism, bypassing CYP450 oxidation entirely. This makes it one of only three benzodiazepines (along with lorazepam and temazepam) that are safe in hepatic impairment. Remembered by the mnemonic LOT (Lorazepam, Oxazepam, Temazepam).
How does Oxazepam work?
Oxazepam is a positive allosteric modulator at the GABA-A receptor benzodiazepine binding site. It increases chloride channel opening frequency in response to GABA, producing CNS depression. Its short half-life (4–15 hours) with no active metabolites makes accumulation less likely than with long-acting agents like diazepam.
Word Parts
Common Mispronunciations
Where You’ll Encounter This
Alcohol withdrawal management, liver disease patients requiring anxiolysis, geriatric psychiatry. Less commonly used than lorazepam in modern practice but clinically important due to hepatic safety profile. Appears frequently on pharmacology examinations in the context of the “LOT” mnemonic.
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