Definition: A racemic mixture is the mixture of two isomers of a chemical structure in equal amounts. In pharmacology, chemical structures of medications exist in non-superimposable mirror images of one another. These are termed to be isomers, one of which has a left-handed configuration around the central carbon atom (referred to as the L-isomer), and the other having a right-handed configuration around the central carbon atom (referred to as the R-isomer).
Examples:
Racemic epinephrine, in nebulized form, is a common treatment for croup in young children.
