Treating or addressing the underlying cause of a disease rather than just its symptoms.
From Greek 'aitia' (cause) + 'tropos' (turning toward) + '-ic'. Medical terminology that became standard in the 19th century for distinguishing cause-focused treatments.
An etiotropic treatment is the difference between taking aspirin for a headache (symptom relief) and treating the dehydration that caused it (root cause)—doctors love this approach!
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