Tuberculosis Flashcards
Tuberculosis caused by what bacterium?
Mycobacterium
What is the character of Tuberculosis infection?
slow growing chronic disease relatively resistant to antibiotics or develops resistance quickly
Why is mycobacterium of tuberculosis hard to treat?
Slow growing makes it harder to target (antibiotics work well against fast growing cells)
What four major agents are used for treatment of active tuberculosis infections?
- Isoniazid
- Ethambutol
- Rifampin
- Streptomycin
Is isoniazid bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal?
–static on slowgrowers
-cidal on fast growers
What is the method of action of Isoniazid?
Inhibits synthesis of mycolic acid, required for mycobacterium cell wall
What drug combined with Isoniazid results in hepatotoxicity?
Rifampin
Is ethambutol bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal?
–static
What is the ethambutol method of action?
Inhibits incorporation of mycolic acid in to cell wall
What is the character of mycobacterium resistant to ethambutol?
Quick resistance when given alone
What is rifampin’s target?
DNA dependent RNA polymerase to inhibit initiation of chain formation
Is rifampin bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal?
Bacteriocidal
Drug resistant mycobacterium tuberculosum dictates what type of therapy?
Multidrug therapy
Why does multidrug therapy help treat tuberculosis?
It decreases the likelihood of mycobacterium developing resistance to all three drugs as they have different targets.
