Antibiotic Resistance Flashcards
What does Alexander Flemming about resistance?
It is not difficult to make bacteria resistant to Penicillin. Exposing them to non-lethal quantities can make it resistant.
What is hospital acquired infection?
Getting an infection from a healthcare provider such a clinic or hospital. Usually the infection is acquired secondary to a primary condition.
What is a community acquired infection?
Attaining an infection from the community.
Which is more prevalent CAI or HAI?
HAI because of the high amount of bacteria strains that have been previously treated.
What are the three Superbugs?
MRSA (resistant to B-lactam’s, major concern in hospitals, for open wounds, invasive devices, and immunocompromised systems), VRE, and FQRP.
Why is antibiotic resistance important?
- increased treatment failure
- increased mortality
- increased need for combination therapy (which introduces more resistance)
- treatment is very expensive
- resistance occurs at a greater rate than antibiotics are being developed
What are the two mechanisms for antibiotic resistance?
Evolution (natural or acquired from environment)
Clinical - from environmental practices
What are the mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance?
- Alteration of antibiotic affinity for substrate
- inactivation of enzyme
- Efflux Pumps
- Alteration of cellular permeability
natural resistance vs acquired?
innate vs spontaneous change in genome
Alteration of antibiotic affinity for substrate
- Foraquinellone –> altered affinity for enzyme
- Sulphonamide –> decreased enzyme affinity
- Aminoglycosides –> can’t bind to ribosomal unit due to modification
Inactivated Enzymes
- Aminoglycosides altering enzymes –> modify aminoglycosides and inactivate it
- B-lactamase –> enzyme that breaks down the B-lactam ring, and practically rendering it ineffective.
Efflux Pumps
Proteins can kick out the antibiotic to maintain low concentrations. Keep in mind, antibiotics only work at high concentrations.
TET Efflux Pump –> Takes tetracyclines and kicks them out of the cell
Altered Cell Permeability
Low concentration of antibiotic due to lack of expression of porin proteins
- any antibiotic that used passive diffusion alone, will be affected
What are different ways to decrease resistance?
- only use antibacterial if infection is BACTERIAL
- finish entire course of treatment, do not under dose
- try to treat with a single agent, rather than combination therapy
- do not use antibiotics in agriculture (animals)
- careless disposal/ hygeine
Why are new treatments not readily made?
expensive and take years to develop
