Antibacterials Flashcards
What are the two most important antibiotics which act in bacterial cell wall?
- Beta lactams
- Glycopeptides
What are the 4 main classes of beta-lactam antibiotics?
- penicillins
- cephalosporins
- carbapenems
- monobactams
What is the combination beta lactam antibiotics?
penicillin-betalactamase inhibitor combinations
- beta lactam combined with molecule designed to make the antibiotics less susceptible breakdown
What is the structure in bacteria targeted by the beta lactam antibacterials?
- Bacterial wall made of peptidoglycan
- peptidoglycan chains cross linked by a transpeptidase enzyme (penicillin binding protein)
- beta lactams inhibit this enzyme
What is the mode of action of beta lactam antibacterials?
- inhibit the penicillin binding protein enzyme
- weakens wall of bacteria
- results in bacterial cell lysis
What is the common structure of beta lactams?
beta lactam ring N-CH2-CH2-CO (ring so last CO group connected to N)
What can Benzylpenicillin be used to treat?
- Mainly gram positive bacteria
- Often used for Beta-haemolytic streptococci
What clinical syndromes are caused by Beta-haemolytic streptococci?
- Streptococcal tonsilitis (given oral or IV)
- Streptococcal cellulitis (given IV antibiotics)
What are the two preparations of benzylpenicillin?
IV - benzylpenicillin
Oral - Penicillin V
What can amoxicillin be used to treat?
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- infections caused by enterococcus faecalis
- infections caused by listeria monocytogenes
Amoxicillin better oral absorption than benzylpenicillin so can be used as step down from benzylpenicillin so can be used for beta-haemolytic streptococci and strep pnemoniae
What clinical syndromes are treated by amoxicillin?
- Chest infections
- listeria Infections
What is Flucloxacillin used to treat?
- Staphylococcal aureus infection
- Beta-Haemolytic streptococci but not reliable against group B Streptococci
What clinical syndromes are treated by flucloxacillin
- Skin/soft tissue infection
- Bone/joint infection
- Endocarditis
What is the only drug in the class monolactam?
Aztreonam
What is aztreonam used to treat?
- gram negative organisms
- can also be given safely in penicillin allergies
What are the clinical syndromes treated by aztreonam?
- UTI
and in combination therapy for: - intra-abdominal infections
- hospital acquired chest infections
What are ceftriaxone/cefotaxime used to treat?
- neisseria meningitidis
- Streptococcus pneumonias
What are the differences in uses of ceftriaxone/cefotaxime?
- ceftriaxone used for syphilis
- ceftriaxone contraindicated for neonates as can display bilirubin from binding to albumin but cefotaxime can be used
- ceftriaxone is drug on formulary for adults in hospitals
What clinical syndromes are treated by ceftriaxone/cefotaxime?
- meningitis
- out-patient parenteral antimicrobial therapy e.g. soft tissue infections and intra-abdominal infections
What preparations are ceftriaxone/cefotaxime given in?
IV
What preparations are Azetreonam give in?
IV
What preparations are flucloxicillin given in?
IV or oral
What preparations are amoxicillin given in?
IV or oral
What are the two main antibiotics in the glycopeptide class?
- Vanomycin
- Teicoplanin
What is the difference between between beta lactams and glycopeptides?
glycopeptides larger than beta lactams so unable to penetrate external membrane of gram negative bacteria also means too large to leave compartment put in i.e. stay in gut (if given orally) or blood (if given IV)
What is the MoA of glycopeptides?
- bind to peptidoglycan prevention addition of new NAG-NAMA building blocks to the cell wall (i.e. prevent peptidoglycan formation)
What are Vanomycin/Teicoplanin used to treat?
- only gram positive bacteria
- Staph Aureus specifically MRSA
- C difficile also treated by Vancomyin only
What clinical syndromes is Teicoplanin used to treat and in what form?
- OPAT (out-patient parenteral antimicrobial therapy) e.g. soft tissue infection and intra-abdominal infections
- Combination therapy in penicillin allergy
(all via IV)
What are the downfalls of glycopeptides?
- can cause renal toxicity
- inferior to beta lactams for some organisms
What clinical syndromes are treated by vancomyin?
- Soft tissue infection (must be IV)
- Combination therapy in penicillin allergy for intra-abdominal infections (must be IV)
- C difficile colitis (must be oral)
What are the three antibiotics that act within the cell of bacteria?
1) protein synthesis inhibitors
2) Nucleic acid synthesis inhibitors
3) Miscellaneous antibiotics
What are the three main classes of protein synthesis inhibitors?
- Macrolides
- Aminoglycosides
- Tetracyclines
What are the three most common macrolides?
- Clarithromycin
- Erythromycin
- Azithromycin
What are Clarithromycin/Erythromycin used to treat?
- gram positive cover for soft tissue infections or chest infections in penicillin allergic patients
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- haemophilus influenzae
- Legionella
- Chlamydia
- Mycoplasma
(these bacteria don’t have cell walls so are not susceptible to beta lactams)
is Clarithromycin or Erythromycin more commonly used?
Clarithromycin
- better tolerated as Erythromycin causes vomiting and diarrhoea
- better bioavailability
Erythromycin used in pregnancy
What clinical syndromes is Clarithromycin used to treat?
chest infection used in combination with beta lactams to treat community acquired pneumoniae
What are the three classes of ahminoglycosides?
- Gentamicin (1st line)
- Amikacin (better against highly resistant gram neg)
- Tobramycin (better pseudomonas cover)
What are the aminoglycosides used to treat?
- Gram neg organsims
- staphylococci including MRSA
- can be used in combination with beta lactams to treat streptococci, act after cell wall has been broken down
What are the clinical syndromes treated by aminoglycosides?
- Sepsis
- UTI
What are the downfalls of aminoglycosides?
- nephrotoxic and ototoxic so drug monitoring required to prevent toxicity
- hydrophilic so stay in blood and urine rather than penetrating tissues
What are the three drugs in tetracycline class?
- Doxycycline (most commonly used in hospitals)
- Minocycline
- Tetracycline
When are tetracyclines contraindicated
Contraindicated in pregnancy and in children under 12