Week 6 Flashcards
Define the terms bactericidal and bacteriostatic:
Bactericidal: achieve sterilisation of the infected site by directly killing bacteria; lysis of bacteria can lead to release of toxins and inflammatory material
Bacteriostatic: suppresses growth but does not directly sterilise infected site; requires additional factors to clear bacteria- immune mediated killing
What are the different antibiotic uses?
Guided therapy: depends on identifying cases of infection and selecting agent based on sensitivity testing
Empirical therapy: best (educated) guess therapy based on clinical/epidemiological acumen, used when therapy cannot wait for culture
Prophylactic therapy: preventing infection before it begins
How can antibiotics cause harm?
Disruption of bacterial flora leads to: overgrowth with yeasts (thrush), overgrowth of bowel (diarrhoea)
Antibiotic use associated with development of C. diff colitis; future colonisation and infection with resistant organisms
What are the main categories of beta-lactams?
Penicillins, cephalosporins carbapenems, monobactams
What is the mechanism of action of beta-lactams?
Beta-lactam motif inhibits cross linking of cell wall peptidoglycan, causing lysis of bacteria (bacteriocidal)
What are beta-lactamases?
Enzymes that lyse and inactivate beta-lactam drugs commonly secreted by gram -ves and S. aureus, which confer high level resistance to antibiotic resulting in total antibiotic failure
What are the adverse effects of beta-lactams?
GI toxicity: - nausea and vomiting - diarrhoea - cholestasis Hypersensitivity: - Type 1; urticaria and anaphylaxis - Type 4; mild to severe dermatology - Interstitial nephritis Infection: - candidiasis; oral or vulvovaginal - clostridium difficile infection - selection of resistant bacteria
Describe benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin and flucloxacillin:
Benzylpenicillin
- administered IV
- remains first choice for antibiotic for serious streotococcal infection
- narrow spectrum
Amoxicillin
- broad spectrum
- greatly increased activity against gram -ve, and much more orally bioavailable than natural penicillins
Flucloxacillin
- developed to be resistant to beta-lactamase produced by staphylococci
- highly active against staph aureus (not MRSA) and streptococci
- no activity at all against gram -ve
- can be given orally but nausea limits dose
Describe cephalosporins:
Multiple generations, gram -ve spectrum increases with each generation and recent introduction of MRSA activity
Example: ceftriaxone
Describe carbapenems:
- Ultra-broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics
- Spectrum of activity against gram +ves and gram -ves
- No activity against MRSA
- Meropenem is an example
Describe monobactams:
- Aztreonam the only member of the class
- Beta-lactam antibiotic but no cross reactivity to penicillins so can be given to those with penicillin allergy (except anaphylaxis)
- Only given IV- no oral absorption
Describe vancomycin:
- Inhibits cell wall formation in gram +ves
- Not dependent on PBP binding so effective against resistant organisms
- Always given IV, oral route only used for treatment of C. diff
- Long half-life so loading doses usually given
- Nephrotoxicity- more likely with higher doses
- Red-man syndrome if injected too rapidly
- Main issue in clinical use is under-dosing
Other than beta-lactams, what are other classes of antibiotics?
- Protein biosynthesis inhibitors
- DNA/RNA replication inhibitors
- Folate synthesis inhibitors
What antibiotics are protein synthesis inhibitors:
Inhibit 50S ribosomal subunit or 30S ribosomal subunit 50S - Macrolides - erythromycin - clarithromycin - azithromycin - Cindamycin - Cholaramphenicol 30S - Aminoglycosides - Gentamicin - Tetracyclines - Doxycycline
Describe macrolides:
- Good spectrum of activity against G+ves and respiratory G-ves
- Have activity against atypicals
- Legionella
- Mycoplasma
- Chlamydia
- Excellent oral absorption
Adverse effects:
- D+V
- QT prolongation
- Hearing loss with long term use
Drug interactions
- over 400
- Simvastatin, atorvastatin and warfarin
What is the difference between clindamycin and macrolides?
Clindamycin has no action against aerobic G-ves or atypicals, but excellent activity against anaerobes
Also highly effective at stopping exotoxin production
Added to patients with G+ve toxin mediated disease: toxic shock syndrome, necrotising fasciitis
Notorious for causing C. diff as its anaerobic activity disrupts colonic flora, now understood all abs cause CDI
What antibiotics mostly cause CDI?
4Cs: - clindamycin - co-amoxiclav - cephalosporins - ciprofloxacin All abs cause CDI, even those that treat it: keep to as narrow a spectrum as possible
Describe chloramphenicol:
- Very broad spectrum of activity
- Very toxic: bone marrow suppression, aplastic anaemia and optic neuritis
- Modern uses: topical therapy to eyes and bacterial meningitis with beta-lactam allergy