In the context of medications, what does "suspension" refer to?

Suspension refers to a specific type of mixture in which solid particles are dispersed throughout a liquid but are not dissolved in it. This means that unlike solutions where solutes are fully integrated into the solvent, in a suspension, the solid medication remains as separate particles within the liquid medium.

This characteristic is important in pharmacology because the solid particles can settle at the bottom over time, which requires the mixture to be shaken before use to ensure proper dosing. An example of a suspension is certain formulations of antibiotics, where the active ingredient must be evenly distributed to ensure that each dose contains the correct amount of medication.

The other options describe different forms of materials. A solid medication refers to a fully solid compound without additional liquid, a form of gas medication is unrelated to suspensions as gases do not contain solid particles dispersed in a liquid, and a type of compressed powder also does not involve a liquid component. Thus, the correct understanding of "suspension" is captured by describing it as a mixture of solids and liquids.