Antibiotics Flashcards
What is the difference between Gram + and Gram - bacteria?
Gram + = purple
1 inner lipid membrane + thick peptidoglycan layer
Gram - = pink
2 lipid membranes + thin peptidoglycan layer
What do antibiotics target?
- Cell wall synthesis
- Protein synthesis
- Nucleic acid synthesis
- Folate metabolism
- Cell membrane
What is the therapeutic index?
Difference between effectiveness + toxicity
What is the therapeutic spectrum?
Bacteria antibiotic effective against - narrow + extended
What’s the difference between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacokinetics = movement of drugs in body Pharmacodynamics = what drug does to body
What are the cell wall synthesis inhibitors?
- Penicillins
- Co-amoxiclav
- Cephalosporins e.g Cefotaxime
- Vancomycin (MRSA)
What are the protein synthesis inhibitors?
- Clarithromycin (Chlamydia)
- Gentamicin
- Oxytetracycline
What are the DNA/RNA synthesis inhibitors?
- Ciprofloxacin
- Nitrofurantoin (UTI)
- Metronidazole
- Rifampicin
Name a folate antagonist
Trimethoprim
Which group are the beta lactam antibiotics?
Penicillins + Cephalosporins
How do beta lactam antibiotics work?
- Binds to PBP via beta lactam ring, inhibiting transpeptidase + preventing cross linking of peptidoglycan layer
- Penicillin binding protein (PBP) = normally causes cross linking of peptidoglycans in cell wall
How do protein synthesis inhibitors work?
- Target ribosomes structurally different enough from human ribosomes
= Selective toxicity
How do DNA & RNA synthesis inhibitors work?
- Selective toxicity for bacterial enzymes involved in replication
- Narrower therapeutic index than cell wall synthesis inhibitors
How do folate synthesis inhibitors work?
- Humans take up folate through food, bacteria have to make it themselves
- Trimethoprim = enzyme inhibitor of this folate synthesis metabolic pathway
- Combined with sulphonamides to act synergistically to reduce folate synthesis
When are folate synthesis inhibitors not effective?
Presence of pus as it contains dead bacteria +. neutrophils that the bacteria can take their building blocks from
Why are there so many different antibiotics?
- antibiotic may not be able to reach target
- may cause side effects
- bacteria resistance
What are the routes of administration for antibiotics ?
- oral
- topical
- IV
- intramuscular
- intrathecal