Antibiotics Flashcards
Define antibiotic.
A chemical substance produced by microorganisms that can destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microbes.
What are the two types of antibiotic?
Natural, synthetic
What might antibiotics be used for with regards to oral health?
- Fever
- Chronic infection
- Periodontitis
- Prophylaxis
What do antibiotics target?
Essential cellular functions
What is a downside of -cidal antibiotics?
Toxins may be released as the cell lyses.
What does the ideal antibiotic do?
Targets a specific pathogen(s) with no resistance development.
What essential cellular functions do antibiotics target? (5)
- Cell wall synthesis
- Protein synthesis
- Nucleic acid synthesis
- Cell membrane function
- Metabolite use
What are some treatment options for oral candidosis?
- Amphotericin B lozenges
- Miconazole oral gel
- Systemic fluconazole
What are some potential oral candidosis therapy issues?
- Fluconazole resistance
- Recurrence of infection
What are some side effects of Amphotericin B?
- Nausea
- Kidney damage
What is the issue with broad spectrum antibiotics?
They do collateral damage to the microbiome ie good bugs are killed too. An example of this is diarrhoea due to gut microbiome being killed off. Most antibiotics have broad spectrum activity.
What are bacteriocins?
non-traditional antibiotics
Proteinaceous antimicrobials produced by bacteria which kill or inhibit the growth of species closely related to the producer organism.
What is a bacterial disease/infection, how it can be prevented, and a treatment for this and how does this treatment work?
- Periodontitis
- Can be prevented by maintaining proper oral hygiene, smoking cessation
- Tetracyclines target protein synthesis (bacteriostatic) of only bacterial cells as they are smaller (70s) than human cells (80s)
What is a fungal disease/infection, how it can be prevented, and a treatment for this and how does this treatment work?
- Oral candidosis
- Ensuring dentures fit well
- maintaining good oral hygiene (intact mucosa)
- Flushing action of saliva (preventing/treating dry mouth)
- When host defenses fail, treatment can include Amphotericin B lozenges which is a polyene which causes the plasma membrane of fungal cells to leak ions, fungicidal leading to disruption of internal environment, osmotic imbalance and cell death.
What is a viral disease/infection, how it can be prevented, and a treatment for this and how does this treatment work?
Herpes simplex
- Can be prevented by following cross-infection control protocol, vaccination (can be complicated due to antigenic shift)
- Can be treated with acyclovir which inhibits DNA synthesis meaning the virus cannot replicate. It causes chain termination and directly inhibits DNA polymerase. Common side-effects are nausea and diarrhoea
What is an issue with treatment of viral infection?
Antiviral drug resistance, due to high mutation rate of viruses.
