Lecture 44: Antibacterials Flashcards
what are the 2 most important classes of antibiotics that act on the bacterial cell wall
- beta lactams
- glycopeptides
what was the first beta lactic discovered
penicillin
what are the 4 main classes of beta lactams
- penicillins
- cephalosporins
- carbapenems
- monobactams
what is penicillin betalactamase inhibitor combinations (BLICs)
a beta lactam combined w/ molecule designed to make antibiotic less susceptible to breakdown
- bacteria less likely to be resistant to BLICs than to penicillins
describe beta lactam antibacterial MoA
- bacterial cell wall composed of peptidoglycan
- peptidoglycan chains cross linked by transpeptidase enzyme
- -> aka penicillin binding protein
- PBPs inhibited by beta lactams
- cell wall severely weakened
- results in bacterial cell lysis
what is present in the structure of all beta lactams
beta lactam ring
what is the difference in peptidoglycan between gram +ve and gram -ve bacteria
thickness differs
- thicker in gram +ve
- thinner in gram -ve
what type of bacteria does benzylpenicillin mainly act on
gram +ve bacteria
- specifically beta-haemolytic streptococci
how is penicillin usually administered
IV (benzylpenicillin)
give examples of oral penicillin
- phenoxymethylpenicillin
- penicillin V
why are oral penicillins not usually used
they are poorly absorbed
what are oral penicillins normally used to treat
streptococcal tonsilitis
what is the main pathogen target of benzylpenicillin and oral penicillins
beta-haemolytic streptococci
- group A strep
what is benyzlpenicillin typically used to treat
- streptococcal tonsillitis
- streptococcal cellulitis/ soft tissue infection
what penicillin drug has better oral absorption than penicillin V
amoxicillin
what is amoxicillin used for
used as step-down from benzylpenicillin, acts against:
- strep pneumoniae
- beta-haemolytic streptococci
what is amoxicillin a treatment choice for
- pneumonia
- infections caused by enterococcus faecalis and listeria monocytogenes
what are the main pathogen targets of amoxicillin
- strep pneumoniae
- listeria monocytogenes
- enterococcus faecalis
- beta-haemolytic streptococci
what are the common clinical indications of amoxicillin
- chest infection
- community acquired pneumonia
- listeria infections
how is amoxicillin prepared
IV and oral
why might amoxicillin not be sufficient by itself as treatment for enterococci
enterococci frequently part of polymicrobial infection
what is flucloxacillin the treatment choice for
staphyloccocal aureus infection
what is the main pathogen target of flucloxacillin
staph aureus
what are the clinical indications of flucloxacillin
- skin/soft tissue infection
- bone/joint infection
- endocarditis
how is flucloxacillin prepared
IV and PO
what type of class betalactam is aztreonam
monolactam
what organisms is aztreonam activity limited to
gram -ve organisms
what are the clinical indications of aztreonam
- UTI
- as part of combination therapy for:
- -> intra-abdominal infections
- -> hospital acquired chest infections
how is aztreonam prepared
IV
when might aztreonam be used
in combination w/ other antibiotics in Px w/ penicillin allergy
what class of beta lactam are ceftriaxone and cefotaxime
third generation cephalosporins
what are 3 important things to remember regarding ceftriaxone and cefotaxime
- ceftriaxone is recognised cover for syphilis while cefotaxime is not
- ceftriaxone is contraindicated in neonates b/c it can displace bilirubin from binding to albumin –> hyperbilirubinaemia and potentially bilirubin encephalopathy
- ceftriaxone is drug on formulary for adults in most hospitals
what are the main pathogen targets of ceftriaxone and cefotaxime
- neisseria meningitidis
- streptococcus pneumoniae
- staph aureus
- beta-haemolytic streptococci
what are the clinical indications for ceftriaxone and cefotaxime
- meningitis
- OPAT (out px parenteral antimicrobial therapy)
- soft tissue infection
- intra-abdominal infections
how are ceftriaxone and cefotaxime prepared
IV
what is the second most important class of antibiotics that act on bacterial cell wall
glycopeptides
give the two main antibiotics in glycopeptide class
- vancomycin
- teicoplanin
what are the only type of bacteria that glycopeptides are active against and why
- gram +ve bacteria
- large polar molecules that are too bulky to penetrate the external membrane of gram -ve bacteria
why do glycopeptides stay in the anatomical compartment they are administered in
they are so big that they don’t easily cross membranes
if given orally –> stay in gut
if given IV –> stay in blood
describe the MoA of Glycopeptides and how they differ to beta lactams
- Glycopeptides bind to peptidoglycan preventing peptidoglycan formation
- glycopeptides inhibit cell wall synthesis earlier than beta lactams; beta lactams act at a later stage inhibiting the cross linking of peptidoglycans
what is the key pathogen that glycopeptides act against
staph aureus esp MRSA
what are the main pathogen targets of Teicoplanin
- MRSA
- gram +ves
what are the clinical indications of Teicoplanin
- OPAT (out px parenteral antimicrobial therapy)
- -> soft tissue infection
- -> intra abdominal allergies
- combination therapy in penicillin allergy
how is Teicoplanin prepared
IV only
how does the use of Teicoplanin and vancomycin differ
- spectrum of activity basically identical
- Teicoplanin can be give OD so more freq. used in OPAT
- vancomycin can be taken PO for C diff
what are the main pathogen targets for vancomycin
- MRSA
- C diff
- gram +ves
what are the clinical indications of vancomycin
- soft tissue infection
- combination therapy in penicillin allergy
- C diff colitis (only indication for PO)
- intra abdominal infections
how is vancomycin prepared
- PO only for C diff
- IV only for all other infections
what are the 3 categories of antibiotics that act within the cell (non cell-wall active agents)
- protein synthesis inhibitors
- nucleic acid synthesis inhibitors
- miscellaneous antibiotics
what are the 3 classes of protein synthesis inhibitors
- macrolides
- aminoglycosides
- tetracyclines
what are the 3 most common macrolides and when is each most commonly prescribed
- clarithromycin –> predominantly prescribed
- erythromycin –> macrolide of choice in pregnancy
- azithromycin –> used by chest physicians
why is clarithromycin more predominantly prescribed
- it is better tolerated (erythromycin ^ gut motility and can cause nausea/vomiting/diarrhoea
- has better bioavailability (50-55% for clarithromycin vs 15-45% for erythromycin)
what is bioavailability
fraction of the administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation (always 100% for IV drugs by definition)
what are atypical bacteria, give examples, and what do they cause
- bacteria w/ cell wall deficit
- legionella
- chlamydia
- mycoplasma
- cause atypical pneumonias
what pathogens do macrolides have the most important activity against
cell wall deficit atypical bacteria
what are the main pathogen targets of clarithromycin
- strep pneumoniae
- haemophilus influenzae
- atypical chest pathogens
- -> legionella pneumophila
- -> chlamydia trachomatis
- -> mycoplasma pneumoniae