Antimicrobial Therapies Flashcards
Define antibiotic
Antimicrobial agent produced by a microorganism that kills or inhibits other microorganisms.
Target many different bacterial processes and are SELECTIVELY TOXIC
What are most antibiotics used today produced by?
Soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria
Define antimicrobial
Chemical that selectively kills or inhibits microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses)
Define bactericidal
Kills bacteria
Define bacteriostatic
Stops bacteria growing
Define antiseptic
Chemical that kills or inhibits microbes, that is usually used to prevent infection
What was the first example of a sulphonamide antibiotic?
Prontosil
What is prontosil used to treat?
Urinary tract infections
Respiratory tract infections
Bacteraemia
Prophylaxis for HIV + individuals
What is the mechanism of prontosil?
Inhibits dihydropteroate synthase which is critical for synthesis of folate
What are the reasons for why antibiotic resistance may lead to increased mortality, morbidity and cost?
Increased time to effective therapy
Requirement for additional approaches e.g - surgery
Use of expensive therapy (newer drugs)
Use of more toxic drugs e.g- vancomycin
Use of less effective ‘second choice’ antibiotics
Give two examples of aminoglycosides
Gentamicin
Streptomycin
What is the mechanism of aminoglycosides?
Targets 30S ribosomal subunit
Causes damage to cell membrane
Targets protein synthesis and RNA proofreading (aberrant protein production)
What do aminoglycosides treat?
Severe infections of abdomen and urinary tract
Bacteraemia
Prophylaxis against endocarditis
Are aminoglycosides bactericidal or bacteriostatic?
Bactericidal
What has led to increasing use of aminoglycosides?
Resistance to other antibiotics
What is the mechanism of rifampicin?
Targets RpoB subunit of RNA polymerase (blocks transcription - bactericidal)
What colour does rifampicin make your secretion go?
Orange/red - affects compliance
What is a frequent issue with Rifampicin?
Spontaneous resistance
What is the mechanism of vancomycin and is it bactericidal or bacteriostatic?
Targets Lipid II component of cell wall biosynthesis, as well as wall cross-linking via D-ala residues
Bactericidal
What has lead to increasing use of vancomycin, despite toxicity?
Resistance to other antibiotics, e.g MRSA
What is the mechanism of linezolid?
Inhibits the initiation of protein synthesis by binding to 50S rRNA subunit (bacteriostatic)
What spectrum of activity does linezolid have?
Gram positive spectrum of activity
What limits the dose of daptomycin?
Toxicity (has to be delivered intravenously)