Antibiotic toolkit Flashcards
info from the lecture and uptodate : https://www.uptodate.com/contents/penicillin-antistaphylococcal-penicillins-and-broad-spectrum-penicillins#H2
What are antibiotics derived from?
Antibiotics are derived from living organisms (e.g., penicillin).
What are chemotherapeutic agents?
Chemotherapeutic agents are synthesized drugs.
What are the two main mechanisms of antibiotic action?
Concentration-dependent killing and time-dependent killing.
Which antibiotics are typically associated with concentration-dependent killing?
Aminoglycosides and quinolones.
What is the key characteristic of concentration-dependent killing?
Higher antimicrobial concentrations kill bacteria more rapidly.
What is the significance of the Area Under the Curve (AUC) in concentration-dependent antibiotics?
A larger AUC/MIC ratio correlates with better bacterial eradication.
What is the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) in a concentration-time graph for antibiotics?
The lowest concentration of the antibiotic required to inhibit visible growth of a bacterium.
What correlates with better bacterial eradication for concentration-dependent antibiotics?
A larger AUC/MIC ratio.
Why is careful dosing important for concentration-dependent antibiotics?
To ensure peak concentrations are sufficiently high to achieve the desired therapeutic effect.
What can result from under-dosing concentration-dependent antibiotics?
Ineffective treatment and the risk of developing antibiotic resistance.
Which antibiotics are typically associated with time-dependent killing?
Beta-lactams.
What is the key characteristic of time-dependent killing?
The effectiveness is related to the duration the drug concentration remains above the MIC.
What percentage of the dosing interval should time-dependent antibiotics remain above the MIC for effective treatment?
40-60%, ideally 95-100% for certain infections like meningitis.
Why is it important not to skip doses of time-dependent antibiotics?
To maintain drug concentrations above the MIC and ensure therapeutic effectiveness.
What is the importance of maintaining drug concentration above the MIC?
It maximizes the drug’s efficacy and helps achieve a successful treatment .
How do concentration-dependent and time-dependent antibiotics differ in their dosing strategies?
Concentration-dependent antibiotics require higher peak concentrations, while time-dependent antibiotics require consistent levels above the MIC.
list drugs that fall under beta lactams
- Penicillins
- Cephalosporins
- Carbapenems
What is the primary action of β-lactams?
They act on the bacterial cell wall.
What type of killing action do β-lactams exhibit?
Time-dependent bactericidal action.
What is a notable characteristic of the therapeutic index of β-lactams?
They have a wide therapeutic index but can be CNS toxic at maximal doses.
What is the main adverse effect associated with β-lactams?
Hypersensitivity.
How are most β-lactams eliminated from the body?
They are primarily eliminated by renal tubular secretion.
What is the most common mechanism of resistance to β-lactams?
Resistance mediated by β-lactamases.
Can resistance mediated by β-lactamases be overcome by using higher doses of β-lactams?
No, it cannot be overcome by using higher doses.
Which types of bacteria commonly produce β-lactamases in the community?
Most aerobic Gram negatives, anaerobes, and staphylococci.
What are extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and where are they commonly found?
ESBLs are produced by aerobic Gram negatives in hospitals, resulting in high-level resistance to all penicillins and cephalosporins.
What is the second mechanism of resistance to β-lactams?
Mutations in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), such as in S. pneumoniae, which usually leads to low-level resistance that can be overcome by higher doses.
What types of bacteria is penicillin primarily active against?
Gram-positive bacteria and spirochaetes.
What are the primary clinical uses of penicillin?
It is the drug of choice for streptococci, syphilis and other spirochaetes, enterococci, Listeria, and Actinomyces.
What is a significant limitation of penicillin regarding resistance?
Penicillin is susceptible to β-lactamase.
What are the two forms of penicillin ( the natural penicillins )and their routes of administration?
Penicillin G (IV) and Penicillin V (oral, but poorly absorbed).
How long does long-acting injectable benzathine penicillin last?
It lasts for 21 days.
What are aminopenicillins and their routes of administration?
Aminopenicillins include ampicillin (only useful IV) and amoxicillin (oral and well absorbed).
How has the spectrum of activity for aminopenicillins changed over time?
They were initially broad-spectrum agents, but resistance has become widespread.
What additional coverage do aminopenicillins provide compared to penicillin?
They provide coverage for Haemophilus, except for those strains that produce β-lactamase (about 15%).
Why are aminopenicillins recommended for respiratory infections?
They have excellent activity against S. pneumoniae.
What distinguishes broad-spectrum penicillins?
Their activity against gram-negative bacilli.
What are the classifications of broad-spectrum penicillins?
Second-generation (ampicillin, amoxicillin), third-generation (carbenicillin, ticarcillin), and fourth-generation (piperacillin).
- with the second generation resistance has increased
Why are ampicillin and amoxicillin not stable to beta-lactamases?
They are susceptible to degradation by these enzymes.
Which bacteria are broad-spectrum penicillins active against?
They are active against the majority of strains of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella, Shigella, and Haemophilus influenzae.
What is a key feature of cloxacillin regarding resistance?
Cloxacillin resists β-lactamase produced by Staphylococci.
How does flucloxacillin compare to cloxacillin in terms of absorption?
Flucloxacillin is better absorbed orally than cloxacillin.
What types of bacteria are cloxacillin and flucloxacillin effective against?
Both are effective only against Gram-positive bacteria
For what types of infections are cloxacillin and flucloxacillin widely used?
They are widely used for skin and soft tissue infections.
What are the antistaphylococcal penicillins?
Nafcillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, and dicloxacillin.
must know : Cloxacillin
What is the primary action of antistaphylococcal penicillins?
They inhibit penicillinase-producing staphylococci.
Against which type of staphylococci are antistaphylococcal penicillins inactive?
They are inactive against oxacillin-resistant staphylococci.
For strains of Staphylococcus aureus sensitive to oxacillin, which antibiotics are preferable to vancomycin?
Antistaphylococcal penicillins or cefazolin
Why are antistaphylococcal penicillins or cefazolin preferred over vancomycin for sensitive S. aureus strains?
Vancomycin is less active against S. aureus than beta-lactams in in vitro and clinical studies.
What are the available forms of penicillin?
Penicillin is available in IV, oral, and depot IM forms.
Name two penicillins that are resistant to β-lactamase.
Cloxacillin and flucloxacillin.
What is a commonly used oral penicillin?
Amoxicillin.
What are β-lactamase inhibitors
They are irreversible inhibitors of β-lactamases, which are enzymes that confer resistance to β-lactam antibiotics.
Name two common β-lactamase inhibitors.
Clavulanate and tazobactam.
How do β-lactamase inhibitors work in combination with β-lactams?
They can reverse resistance to β-lactam antibiotics when combined with them.
What is an example of a combination of a β-lactam and a β-lactamase inhibitor?
Amoxicillin-clavulanate.
What types of infections is amoxicillin-clavulanate effective against?
It has broad-spectrum activity against community-acquired Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and anaerobic infections.
What is another example of a β-lactam combined with a β-lactamase inhibitor?
Piperacillin-tazobactam.