microorganisms and antimicrobial chemotherapy Flashcards
gram positive cocci
staphylococci (clusters) streptococci (chains)
staphylococci coagulase test
+ = staph. aureus - = staph. epidermis or saprophyticus
streptococci haemolysis
partial (a) turns green = pneumoniae, vidrians complete (b) turns clear = pyogenes non-haemolytic = enterococci
gram positive aerobic bacilli
non-spore forming = listeria monocytogenes, corynebacterium diptheriae spore forming = bacillus species
gram positive anaerobic bacilli
all spore forming = clostridium species
gram negative cocci
moraxella catarrhalis neisseria gonorrhoeae/meningitidis
gram negative anaerobic bacilli
(that grow on MacConkey’s)
almost all are coliforms
lactose fermenters: (agar goes pink)
escherichia coli
klebsiella sp.
lactose non-fermenters: (agar stays clear)
proteus sp.
shigella sp.
salmonella sp.
pseudomonas sp. (not a coliform)
Gram negative anaerobic bacilli
(that don’t grow on MacConkney’s)
bacteroides sp.
prevotella sp.
porphyromonas sp.
gram negative curved bacilli
(seagul shaped)
campylobacter sp.
vibrio sp.
helicobacter sp.
gram negative cocco-bacilli
haemophilus influenzae
acid and alcohol fast bacteria (AAFB)
(gram stain not applicable)
mycobacterium tuberculosis
atypical mycobacteria
spirochaetes
treponema sp
borelia sp.
leptospira sp.
miscelaneous organisms
chlamydia sp.
Rickettsia ap.
Coxiella Burnetii
Mycoplasma sp.
Benzyl Penicillin/penicillin G (penicillin, β-lactam)
Administration: Intravenous (phenoxymethylpenicillin is a derivative with better oral absorption)
Spectrum: gram positives and meningococci
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions
Resistance: resisted by β-lactamase producing bacteria (e.g. staph. aureus) and bacteria that alter the structure of their PBPs (e.g. MRSA)
Amoxicillin/Ampicillin (penicillin, β-lactam)
Administration: oral
Spectrum: gram positives and some coliforms
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions
Resistance: resisted by β-lactamase producing bacteria (e.g. staph. aureus) and bacteria that alter the structure of their PBPs (e.g. MRSA)
Co-amoxiclav (penicillin, β-lactam)
amoxicillin combined with clavulanic acid (a β-lactamase inhibitor)
Spectrum: gram positives and β-lactamase producing coliforms
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions
Flucloxacillin (penicillin, β-lactam)
represented by methicillin in lab testing
Spectrum: gram positives including staphylococci that produce β-lactamase
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions, associate with hepatotoxicity
Resistance: side chain is modified to be resistant to β-lactamase but resisted by MRSA
Piperacillin (penicillin, β-lactam)
Spectrum: extended gram-negative cover compared to other penicillins, including enterococcus faecalis and pseudomonas. Anti-aerobic activity (so covers intra-abdominal infection)
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions
Resistance: commonly used with tazobactam (a β-lactamase inhibitor) to make tazocin, known as “pip/taz”
Carbapenems (β-lactam)
e.g. imipenem, meropenem
Spectrum: widest spectrum of all antibiotics, including anaerobes
Mechanism: inhibition of cell wall synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions
Resistance: resisted by carbepenemase producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE)
Cephalosporins (β-lactam)
Spectrum: gram-negative activity increases from 1st– 3rd generation, gram-positive activity decreases from 1st – 3rd generation. Only ceftazidime (3rd gen) has activity against pseudomonas.
Mechanism: disrupts peptidoglycan synthesis
Toxicity: can cause allergic reactions, encourages clostridium difficile infection
Resistance: 3rd gen broken down by extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)
Glycopeptides
e.g. vancomycin, teicoplanin
Administration: parenteral (can’t be absorbed from GI tract – given orally only to treat clostridium difficile infection)
Spectrum: aerobic and anaerobic gram-positives only (can’t penetrate gram-negative cell wall)
Mechanism: inhibit assembly of a peptidoglycan precursor
Toxicity: Toxicity: renal toxicity (nephrotoxicity), hearing and balance (ototoxicity). Serum levels must be monitored carefully.
Resistance: resisted by vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) – the peptidoglycan precursor that vancomycin binds to has an altered structure
Aminoglycosides
e.g. gentamicin
Administration: parenteral only
Spectrum: gram-negatives including pseudomonas and staphylococci
Mechanism: blocks translation at the ribosome
Toxicity: renal toxicity (nephrotoxicity), hearing and balance (ototoxicity). Serum levels must be monitored carefully.
Resistance: very little
Macrolides(bacteriostatic) – used in patients with penicillin allergy
e.g. clarithromycin, erythromycin, azithromycin
Spectrum: gram-positives and organisms causing atypical pneumonia. Azithromycin used for chlamydia
Mechanism: stops protein elongation at the ribosome
Resistance: resisted by ~10% staph. aureus, strep. pyogenes and strep. pneumonae. So sensitivity testing needed