Antibiotics/Vaccines Flashcards
Which vaccine prevents Ebolavirus?
A monoclonal antibody vaccine is in development
Recombinant viral vector derived from VZV
It protects against Ebola Zaire
What does T > MIC represent in a time-concentration curve?
The fraction fo the dosing interval for which the drug concentration remains above the MIC
What are the “Four Core Actions” that are recommended by the CDC for combating antibiotic resistance?
- Prevent infections/spread of infections
- Track resistance patterns
- Improve the use of antibiotics
- Practice good stewardship; use only when necessary, use narrowest spectrum and shortest duration that is appropriate
- Develop new antibiotics and diagnostic tests
How can you use MIC and MIC breakpoint to choose the best antibiotic against a particular agent?
You want to choose the antibiotic with the MIC furthest below the MIC breakpoint
This is especially importatn for very sick patients and multi-drug resistant strains
Which PK/PD parameters are unique to antibiotics (as opposed to other drugs)?
T>MIC
What kind of vaccine is the measles vaccine?
Live attenuated vaccine
Which beta-lactam would be safest to give to a patient with a penicillin allergy?
Aztreonam
The side chain is structurally different from other beta-lactams
(Still use extreme caution if the patient has an anaphylactic reaction)
Which beta-lactam antibiotic is not active against gram-positive bacteria?
Monobactam (Aztreonam)
What kind of antibiotic is trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole?
A sulfonamide
Sulfonamides inhibit the folate synthesis pathway, this inhibiting bacterial DNA synthesis
Which toxicity is most commonly associated with aminoglycosides?
Neprotoxicity
What is the difference between empiric and directed antibiotic therapy?
Empiric therapy is based on clinical judgement and reasoning
- You have done your best to narrow down the causative agent of disease based on presentation and symptoms
- You choose an antibiotic that will be active against the most likely causes
Directed therapy is informed by cell culture and lab results
- You know exactly which bacteria you need to kill
- You choose an antibiotic active against that bacteria
In general, which antibiotics are bacteriostatic?
Are there exceptions?
In general, agents that inhibit protein synthesis are bacteriostatic
Exception: Aminoglycosides inhibit protein synthesis but are bactericidal
Are anti-staphylococcal penicillins active against MRSA?
Why or why not?
Anti-staphylococcal penicillins are not active against MRSA
- MRSA is resistant to all penicillins becaue it possesses an alternative PBP, called PBP 2a
- Even penicillins that are not destoryed by beta-lactamase cannot bind to PBP 2a, therefore they will not kill MRSA
- To treat MRSA, use vancomycin, clindamycin (but confirm susceptibility with D-test), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, linezolid, or daptomycin
What are the dosing recommendations for concentration-dependent antibiotics?
Goal = highest possible peak concentration (CMax)
- Duration of peak and T>MIC have no impact on efficacy
- Give high doses less frequently
- Low troughs are okay
- Reduces the risk of toxicity
- Microbes are still killed due to post-antibiotic effect
- Low troughs are okay
What kind of vaccine is the HiB vaccine?
Why is it important?
The HiB vaccine protects against Haemophilus influenzae, the former leading cause of childhood bacterial meningitis
Vaccination has basically eradicated the H. influenzae as a cause of bacterial meningitis :D
What is a broad spectrum antibiotic?
Give some examples
A broad-spectrum antibiotic is active against a variety of both gram (+) and gram (-) species
- Beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors
- Ampicillin/sulbactam
- Piperacillin/tazobactam
- Aminopenicillins
- Amoxicillin
- Ampicillin
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
- Carbapenems
- Imipenem
- Meropenem
- Doripenem
- Ertapenem
Which antibiotic covers all of the most probable causes of community-acquired pneumonia?
Macrolides (azythromycin, erythromyin, clarithromycin)
What is the general mechanism of rifampin antibiotics?
Rifampin antibiotics inhibit RNA polymerase
What are the mechanisms of resistance of fluoroquinolone antibiotics?
- Point mutations in the target enzyme (topoisomerase II or topoisomerase IV)
- Prevents binding between fluoroquinolone and enzyme
- Reducing the penetration of fluoroquinolone into the bacterial cell by removing porin channels or acquiring pumps to promote antibiotic efflux
Which fluoroquinolone antibiotic would you use against community-acquired pneumonia?
Moxifloxacin or levofloxacin (the respiratory fluoroquinolones
Ciprofloxacin is not active against streptococus pneumoniae (or other gram-positive bacteria), and therefore would not be a good choice
What are the two options for flu vaccination?
How are they different?
- Trivalent inactivated subunit vaccine (TIV)
- Intramuscular
- Less effective (~50%-70%)
- Fewer adverse effects
- Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV)
- Intranasal
- More effective especially in children (87%)
- More likely to have adverse effects
- URI symptoms in adults
- Asthma flare in children
Describe the spectrum and clinical use of levofloxacin
Levofloxacin = respiratory fluoroquinolone
- Spectrum
- Gram positive
- Gram negative
- Pseudomonas
- Atypical
- Clinical use
- Use against community-acquired pneumonia when streptococcus pneumoniae is suspected
Which toxicity is most commonly associated with Vancomycin?
Red Man’s Syndrome
Rash/pain during infusion due to release of histamine from mast cells
What is the general mechanism of glycopeptide antibiotics? (ex: vancomycin)
Inhibit cell-wall synthesis (at a different point than beta-lactams)
Binds D-alanyl-D-alanine, blocking the link to the glycopeptide polymer
List 3 commonly used fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Ciprofloxacin
Moxifloxacin (Respiratory)
Levofloxacin (Respiratory)
How is a C. diff treated?
Oral vancomycin = first choice
Metronidazole = alternative
Which penicillins are active against Staphylococcus spp?
Which are not?
Active against staph (not vulnerable to beta-lactamase)
- Anti-staphylococcal penicillins (oxacillin)
- Betalactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combos
- (Ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam)
Not active against staph (vulnerable to beta-lactamase)
- Natural penicillin (panicillin V and G)
- Aminopenicillins (ampicillin, amoxycillin)
Note: All penicillins have activity against Streptococcus spp.
What kind of antibiotic is amoxicillin-clavulanate?
Beta lactam + Beta lactamase inhibitor
Amoxicillin = beta lactam
Clavulanate = beta lactamase inhibitor
(Any -illin + something else is usually this combo)
This is prescribed to enhance activity against bacteria that synthesize beta-lactamase, such as MSSA and enterococci
What kind of antibiotics are -floxacins?
Fluoroquinolones;
They directly inhibit bacterial DNA synthesis
They are bactericidal
Give 1-2 examples of cephalosporins from each generation
- 1st generation
- Cefazolin
- 2nd generation
- Cefuroxime
- 3rd generation
- Ceftriaxone
- Ceftazidime
- 4th generation
- Cefepime
- Ceftaroline
What percentage of patients will have at least 1 adverse effect after taking antibiotics?
20%
What is the mechanism of resistance against vancomycin?
Which bacteria are likely to become resistant?
Vancomycin acts by binding to D-alanyl-D-alanine
Some enterococci and S. aureus spp possess the mobile genetic element vanAthat changes this target to D-alanyl-D-lactate or D-alanyl-D-serine basicallyruining the binding site for vancomycin
- S. aureus may also be resistant due to an abnormally thick cell wall
Which antibiotics are time-dependent?
Aminoglycosides
Fluoroquinolones
Which beta-lactam antibiotic provides the most comprehensive gram-negative coverage?
Meropenem
(Cefepime, piperacillin/taxobactam, aztreonam, ceftazidime are also pretty good aginst most enterobacteriaceae and pseudomonas)
Which beta-lactams are most likley to cause a morbilliform rash?
Ampicillin and amoxicillin
Even more common if pt. also has EBV
Other beta-lactams are likely to be safe
Which toxicity is most commonly associated with Fluroquinolones?
Achilles tendon rupture
(Achilles tendon ruption is only associated with fluoroquinolones)
As a prescriber, what are 3 ways that you can prevent antibiotic resistance?
- Only prescribe antibiotics when necessary
- Use the narrowest spectrum antibiotic that is appropriate for the patient
- Use the shortest duration that is appropriate for the patient
Which generation of cephalosporin is cefuroxime?
What is it active against?
2nd generation
- Good gram (+) coverage
- Strep and MSSA
- Improved gram (-) coverage
Which cephalosporins have good gram positive coverage and the most limited gram negative coverage?
1st generation
Cefazolin
Compare the efficacy of conjugate vaccines with polysaccharide vaccines
Conjugate vaccines (polysaccharide conjugated to a peptide/protein) are more effective
The peptide is able to activate a cell-mediated immune resonse in addition to the humoral response activated by the polysaccharide
Which fluoroquinolone is not active against gram-positive bacteria?
Ciprofloxacin
Which fluoroquinolones are active against pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin
In which clinical scenarios would it be important to use a bactericidal vs. a bacteriostatic agent?
- If the patient is immune compromised
- Their system will not be able to kill the bacteria
- Young children, elderly patients, anyone else who is immunosuppressed
- If the infection is serious
Describe the scope of antibiotic resistance in the USA
How many people are infected each year with an infection that is resistant to antibiotics?
How many die?
What is the economic cost?
- How many people are infected each year with an infection that is resistant to antibiotics?
- >2 million
- How many die?
- 23,000
- What is the economic cost?
- $20 billion in excess healthcare costs
- An additional $35 billinon in lost productivity
Name two 3rd generation cephalosporins.
How are they different?
Ceftriaxone, ceftazidime
Ceftriaxone maintains some gram (+) activity
Ceftazidime does not have any gram (+) activity, and is active against pseudomonas
Which generation of cephalosporin is cefazolin?
What is it active against?
1st generation
- Good gram (+) coverage
- Strep, MSSA
- Some gram (-) coverage
- E. coli, K. pneumoniae, protius mirabilis
What is the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)?
The lowest concentration of an antibiotic that prevents visible growth of the organism after 18-24 hours of incubation
What is the general mechanism of lincosamide antibiotics?
Inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes
What is the mechanism of tetracycline antibiotics?
Inhibit bacterial protein synthesis
Bind to the 30S bacterial ribosome
What does a live attenuated vaccine contain?
What is the efect on the host?
A weakened form of a live virus
- (Virulence factors lost though multiple passages through subculture)
- Must be able to replicate inside of the host in order to be effective
- Immune response is similar to that of a natural infection without causing illness
What are the mechanisms of resistance to tetracycline antibiotics?
- Protein pump acquisition/alteration
- Impaired influx of antibiotic
- Increased efflux of antibiotic
- Proteins that interfere with tetracycline/ribosome binding
- Enzyme inactivation
Which beta-lactam antibiotics provide the least gram-negative coverage?
Penicillin, oxacillin
(ampicillin only has minimal gram-negative activity)
What are the mechanisms of resistance of aminoglycoside antibiotics?
- Bacteria produces transferase
- Transferase inactivates the aminoglycoside via adenylation, acetylation, or phosphorylation
- Reduce porin channels
- Aminoglycoside cannot enter the bacterial cell
- Mutations in the 30S subunit can prevent the aminoglycoside from binding to the ribosome
Which beta-lactam antibiotics are active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria?
- Anti-pseudomonal penicillins
- Piperacillin
- Beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combos
- Ampicillin/sulbactam
- Piperacillin/tazobactam
- Carbapenems
What is the mechanism of fluoroquinolone antibiotics?
Fluoroquinolones inhibit bacterial DNA synthesis by binding to the enzyme-DNA complex
- Block topoisomerase II (aka DNA gyrase)
- Prevents the relaxation of supercoils, blocking DNA replication
- Block topoisomerase IV
- Prevents the separation of replicated bacterial DNA into daughter cells
- Bacteriostatic = fluoroquinolone binding to the enzyme-DNA complex
- Bactericidal = complex cleaves DNA and prevents ligation
Which bacteria pose the most urgent threats (as per the CDC) for antibiotic resistance?
C. difficile
Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae
What kind of antibiotic is carbapenem?
A beta-lactam; interferes with peptidoglycan synthesis
Offers broad spectrum coverage; not vulnerable to beta-lactamases
Under which circumstances would you prescribe gentamicin for a patient with a staph infection?
Gentimicin (or any aminoglycoside) would only be prescribed in concert with another antibiotic class (ex: beta-lactam) to provide synergy if the infection is serious
What does it mean for an antibiotic to be “concentration-dependent?”
The antibiotic kills most effectively when the maximum concentration of the drug (CMax) is high
- Duration of the peak does not matter
- Typically has a post-antibiotic effect
- Keeps killing even when concentration falls below MIC
What does it mean for an antibiotic to be “time-dependent?”
The antibiotic kills most effectively when the concentation of the antibiotic is above the MIC of the bacteria for as long as possible (T > MIC is large)
- Magnitude of the peak is not important
- May need to adjust dosing to avoid toxicity
What are 4 of the most common antibiotic toxicities shared by several classes of antibiotics?
- Diarrhea
- Anaphylaxis
- Hepatotoxicity
- Dermatological toxicity
- Rash
Which two bacteria are the most likely causes of bacterial meningitis?
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Neisseria meningitidis
Which antibiotics act by inhibiting DNA synthesis?
-
Fluoroquinolones
- Inhibit topoisomerase II and IV
- (Ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin)
-
Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
- Inhibit bacterial folic acid synthesis pathway