Antimicrobial Therapies Flashcards
What is prontosil?
The first example of a sulfonamide antibiotic
- bacteriostatic
- synthetic
- used to treat UTIs, RTIs, bacteremia and prophylaxis for HIV+ individuals
- becoming more common due to resistance to other microbials, despite some host toxicity
What was prontosil effective against?
puerperal sepsis (childbed fever)- caused primarily by S.pyogenes
- only effective against gram-positive bacteria
What is bacteraemia?
bloodstream infection
Why are anti-bacterials safe for humans to use?
They target proteins found in bacterial cells but not found in humans
Describe the mechanism of action of beta-lactams?
They have a beta-lactam ring which binds to the serine residue on penicillin binding protein, which inactivates the enzyme.
This means that the cross bridges between peptidoglycan molecules that form the outer layer of the bacteria cannot form so the cell wall doesn’t form.
This means that water enters into the bacteria and it dies
What are some examples of beta-lactams?
Penicillin and Methicilin
What do beta-lactams do?
interfere with the synthesis of the peptidoglycan component of the bacterial cell wall
- binds to penicillin-binding proteins
- penicillin-binding proteins catalyse a number of steps in the synthesis of peptidoglycan
What is the definition of an antibiotic?
An anti-microbial agent produced by microorganisms that kills or inhibits other microorganisms
What are most antibiotics produced by?
soil-dwelling fungi (penicillium and cephalosporium) or bacteria (streptomyces and bacillus)
What is an antimicrobial?
A chemical that selectively kills or inhibits microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses)
What is an antibiotic called when it kills the bacteria?
bactericidal
What is an antibiotic that stops the bacteria growing?
bacteriostatic
Which is better bactericidal or bacteriostatic?
no proof that one is better than the other
What is an antiseptic?
chemical that kills or inhibits microbes that is usually used topically to prevent infection
What is the minimal inhibitory concentration?
The lowest concentration of antibacterial which is required to inhibit growth
What is meant by the breakpoint?
clinically-achievable concentration
What are some effects of antibacterial resistance? (5)
- Longer time needed for therapy to be effective
- Require additional approaches
- Use of expensive therapy (newer drugs)
- Use of more toxic drugs
- Use of less effective “second choice” antibiotics
What happens if bacteria can grow past the breakpoint concentration?
the antibiotic won’t work
Give an example of how the use of antibiotics selects for resistant strains?
Some isolates of S.aureus were resistant to penicillin from the start. Routine use of penicillin provided selective pressure for the acquisition and maintenance of resistant genes.
Is there more resistance in hospitals or communities and why?
hospitals, as less penicillin is used in communities
- resistance in hospitals was never 0%
How does antibiotic resistance emerge?
A population of bacteria will have some bacteria that are resistant and some that are not due to genetic variation
A selection pressure then acts on the population such as the antibiotic - those that are not resistant die, and patient starts to feel better
Patient then stops course of antibiotic but those that can survive still do not die - they live and proliferative meaning the entire population/ high prevalence is now resistant
Do bacteria swap bacteria at a high or low frequency?
high frequency
When does resistance of an antibiotic usually emerge?
soon after the arrival of a nerw antibiotic
What does antibiotic resistance lead to?
increased mortality, morbidity, and cost
e.g., use of more toxic drugs e.g., vancomycin
What are the gram positive bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics?
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, VISA)
Wound and skin infect. pneumonia, septicaemia, infective endocarditis.
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Pneumonia, septicaemia.
Clostridium difficile
Pseudomembranous colitis, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
Enterococcus spp (VRE)
UTI, bacteraemia, infective endocarditis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDRTB, XDRTB)
Tuberculosis
What are gram negative bacteria which are resistant to antibiotics?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Cystic fibrosis, burn wound infections. Survives on abiotic surfaces.
E. Coli (ESBL)
GI infect., neonatal meningitis, septicaemia, UTI.
E. coli, Klebsiella spp (Carbapenase producing)
As above.
Salmonella spp. (MDR)
GI infect. , typhoid fever.
Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB)
Opportunistic, wounds, UTI, pneumonia (VAP).
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Gonorrhoea.
What are aminoglycosides?
Bactericidal
Target protein synthesis (30S ribosomal subunit), RNA proofreading and cause damage to cell wall
Toxicity has limited use, but resistance to other antibiotics has led to increasing use
What are examples of aminoglycosides?
Gentamicin, streptomycin
What is rifampicin?
Bactericidal
Targets RpoB subunit of RNA polymerase
Spontaneous resistance is frequent
Makes secretions go orange/ red- affects compliance
What is vancomycin?
Bactericidal
Targets Lipid II component of cell wall biosynthesis, as well as wall crosslinking via D-ala residues
Toxicity has limited use, but resistance to other antibiotics has led to increasing use e.g., against MRSA
What is Linezolid?
Bacteriostatic
Inhibits the initiation of protein synthesis by binding to the 50S rRNA subunit
Gram-positive spectrum of activity