MAC
Also written as: MAC — minimum alveolar concentration
Standard abbreviation for minimum alveolar concentration, the benchmark measure of inhaled anesthetic potency.
Full Definition
MAC stands for minimum alveolar concentration and is the universally accepted unit for expressing and comparing the potency of volatile inhalational anesthetic agents. In dental anesthesiology documents, MAC appears in drug tables, sedation protocols, and pharmacokinetics discussions. Editors must confirm that the abbreviation is expanded on first use and that context clearly distinguishes it from other uses of 'MAC' in unrelated fields. Subscript qualifiers such as MAC-awake and MAC-intubation require consistent formatting throughout a manuscript.
Usage
Usage note: Expand on first use as 'minimum alveolar concentration (MAC)'. Watch for context clashes with MAC in computing or occupational health documents.
In Context
- "Desflurane was administered at 0.3 MAC throughout the restorative procedure." — Anesthesia case report
- "Table 2 lists the MAC values for each volatile agent at standard temperature and pressure." — Pharmacology reference table