Antibiotics

DefinitionActionProperUsesRiskThewordantibioticcomesfromtheGreekantimeaning“against”andbiosmeaning“life”(abacteriumisalifeform)“Againstbacterialife”.Antibioticscanbedescribedasasubstanceproducedbyamicroorganismthatkillsbacteriaorslowstheirgrowth.powerfulmedicinesthatfightbacterialinfections.TheyeitherkillbacteriaorkeepthemfromreproducingAlthoughthereareanumberofdifferenttypesofantibiotictheyallworkinoneoftwoways:Abactericidalantibiotickillsthebacteria.Penicillinisabactericidal.Abactericidalusuallyeitherinterfereswiththeformationofthebacterium'scellwalloritscellcontents.Abacteriostaticstopsbacteriafrommultiplying.•Penicillinssuchaspenicillinandamoxicillin•Cephalosporinssuchascephalexin(Keflex)•Macrolidessuchaserythromycin(E-Mycin),clarithromycin(Biaxin),andazithromycin(Zithromax)•Fluoroquinolonessuchasciprofloxacin(Cipro),levofloxacin(Levaquin),andofloxacin(Floxin)•Sulfonamidessuchasco-trimoxazole(Bactrim)andtrimethoprim(Proloprim)•Tetracyclinessuchastetracycline(Sumycin,Panmycin)anddoxycycline(Vibramycin)•Aminoglycosidessuchasgentamicin(Garamycin)andtobramycin(Tobrex)Anantibioticisgivenforthetreatmentofaninfectioncausedbybacteria.Theytargetonlybacteria-theydonotattackotherorganisms,suchasfungiorviruses.Ifyouhaveaninfectionitisimportanttoknowwhetheritiscausedbybacteria,andnotavirusorfungus.Mostupperrespiratorytractinfections,suchasthecommoncoldandsorethroatsaregenerallycausedbyviruses.Antibioticsdonotworkagainstviruses.Antibioticsmaybegivenbeforehand,topreventinfection,asmightbethecasebeforesurgery.Thisiscalled'prophylactic'useofantibiotics.Theyarecommonlyusedbeforebowelandorthopedicsurgery.Antibioticsareeffectivedrugsfortreatingbacterialinfections,whileanti-inflammatorydrugisageneralnamereferringtoagroupofdrugswhichincludesantibiotics,non-steroidalanti-inflammatorydrugsandsomeenzymes,eachhavingdifferentfunctionsAntibioticsareeffectivedrugsfortreatingbacterialinfectionsbutnotforalltypesofinfectionThereareriskssuchas:SideeffectsAntibioticresistantbacteriaYes.Antibiotics,likeanyotherdrugs,maycauseside-effectsandallergy.Inaddition,whiletakingnecessaryantibioticsforkillingthebacteriacausingthedisease,antibioticswillalsoaffectthenormalbacteriafloraandpredisposetotheemergenceofantibioticresistantbacteria,whichmayrendertreatmentandcontrolofsubsequentinfectiondifficult.TransientheadacheNauseaVomitingConstipationordiarrheaFeelingandbeingsickFungalinfectionsofthemouth,digestivetractandvaginaAllergicreaction-rash-itchiness-breathlessnessshortnessofbreath,hives,swellingofyourlips,face,ortongue,fainting.◦Vaginalitchingordischarge◦WhitepatchesonyourtongueFormationofkidneystones(whentakingsulphonamides)Abnormalbloodclotting(whentakingsomecephalosporins)Sensitivitytosun(whentakingtetracyclines)Blooddisorders(whentakingtrimethoprim)Deafness(whentakingerythromycinandtheaminoglycosides)Antibioticresistanceisatypeofdrugresistancewhereamicroorganismisabletosurviveexposuretoanantibiotic.Genescanbetransferredbetweenbacteriainahorizontalfashionbyconjugation,transduction,ortransformation.Whiletakingnecessaryantibioticsforkillingthebacteriacausingthedisease,antibioticswillalsoaffectthenormalbacteriafloraandpredisposetotheemergenceofantibioticresistantbacteria,whichmayrendertreatmentandcontrolofsubsequentinfectiondifficult.AntibioticslikePenicillinandErythromycin,whichusedtobeone-timemiraclecuresarenowlesseffectivebecausebacteriahavebecomemoreresistant.AntibioticsthemselvesactasaselectivepressurethatallowsthegrowthofresistantbacteriawithinapopulationandinhibitssusceptiblebacteriaTherefore,thedoctormustconsidereachindividualpatient’ssituation,andbalancethetreatmentbenefitsandrisksbeforeprescription.Itisverydifficulttotreatitsodoctorsshouldalwaysactonpreventingitfromhappening.Alargeepidemiologicalstudy(observational)alsofoundthattheantibioticwasstatisticallysignificantlyassociatedwithanincreasedriskofcertaincancers,includingprostatecancer,breastcancer,lungcancerandcoloncancer(allinstronggrowthintheworld).Theriskofcontractingotherlesscommoncancershasalsobeenlinkedtoantibioticuse.Theriskofbeingdiagnosedwithskincancer(excludingmelanoma),canceroftheduodenum,acancerofthepancreas,akidneycancer,cancerofthebladder,aCancerofthemalegenitalia(exceptprostate),cancerofthethyroidwithmyelomaorleukemiawas1.5timeshigheramongparticipantswhohadmorethansixprescriptionsforantibiotics,comparedwiththegroupleastexposedantibiotics.Possiblecausallinksbetweenantibioticandcancer,couldbemultipleandremaintobeclarified.Antibioticsmayhaveinteractionswithotherprescriptionandnonprescriptionmedications.Forexample,Biaxin(anantibiotic)shouldnotbetakenwithReglan(adigestivesystemdrug).AlcoholPenicillins,cephalosporins,andsomeotherantibioticsmayunderminetheeffectivenessoforalcontraceptives.Iftheantibiotichascauseddiarrhea/vomitingtheabsorptionofcontraceptivesmayalsobedisrupted.Ifyouaretakinganyofthesedrugsyoushouldconsidertakingadditionalcontraceptiveprecautions.AsadoctoritisimportanttoknowtheothermedicationsthatyourpatientistakingAntibioti