Deja Ch 2.1 Antibacterial Flashcards
(155 cards)
What is a bacteriostatic antibiotic?
An antibiotic that causes reversible inhibition of growth. The bacteria are still present and able to replicate should the bacteriostatic antibiotic be removed. A bacteriostatic antibiotic therefore prevents the exponential growth of bacteria, allowing the host immune system better chances of clearing the bacteria that is present in the body.
What is a bactericidal antibiotic?
An antibiotic that causes irreversible inhibition of growth, therefore directly killing the bacteria
Why should bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics not be given together?
Bacteriostatic drugs will antagonize the effects of bacteriocidal drugs which rely on the active replication and utilization of environmental resources by bacteria.
Which antibiotic inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by blocking glycopeptide polymerization through binding tightly to the D-alanyl-D-alanine portion of the cell wall (peptidoglycan) precursor?
Vancomycin
Vancomycin-resistant bacteria change their D-ala-D-ala terminus of the peptide side chain to what?
To D-ala-D-lactate; this change prevents the cross linking reaction necessary for elongation of the peptide side chain, weakening the cell wall and making the bacteria susceptible to lysis
Vancomycin is most commonly used to treat what types of infections?
Gram-positive infections. Vancomycin is only effective against gram-positive bacteria, and is particularly useful for infections due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.
Does vancomycin have good oral bioavailability?
No. Vancomycin can be given orally to treat Clostridium difficile enterocolitis because the drug stays in the gastrointestinal tract (it is poorly absorbed from the GI tract).
What are the adverse effects of vancomycin?
Hyperemia, or “red man” syndrome (see following questions); ototoxicity (rare, but it must be used with caution when coadministered with other drugs having ototoxicity, such as aminoglycosides); nephrotoxicity (similar situation as described for ototoxicity); phlebitis at site of injection
Release of what substance is responsible for “red man” syndrome?
Histamine
How can vancomycin-induced “red man” syndrome be prevented?
By slowing the infusion rate. Infusion over 1 to 2 hours is normally sufficient. Additionally, antihistamines may be coadministered.
Which antibiotic inhibits the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycling of the lipid carrier required in the transfer of peptidoglycan to the cell wall?
Bacitracin (used topically only due to severe nephrotoxicity if given systemically)
Sulfonamide antibiotics antagonize what compound?
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) (see next answer)
What is the mechanism of action of sulfonamide antibiotics?
Sulfonamides are structural analogs of PABA. This class of antibiotics is effective against bacteria that must use PABA to synthesize folate de novo. Sulfonamides work by inhibiting dihydropteroic acid synthase, the enzyme that catalyzes the condensation reaction between PABA and dihydropteridine to form dihydropteroic acid, the first step in the synthesis of tetrahydrofolic acid.
Do humans possess dihydropteroic acid synthase?
No. Therefore sulfonamides are selectively toxic to bacteria and other microorganisms.
Against which microorganisms are sulfonamides effective?
Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, Nocardia, Chlamydia trachomatis, some protozoa (malaria), Escherichia Coli, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Shigella, Enterobacter
Are sulfonamide antibiotics bactericidal or bacteriostatic?
Primarily bacteriostatic
What are the adverse effects of sulfonamide antibiotics?
Nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; phototoxicity; hemolysis (in individuals having glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency); hypersensitivity; Stevens-Johnson syndrome (incidence and severity of adverse effects greatly increase immunocompromised in AIDS patients)
Why are sulfonamide antibiotics contraindicated in neonates?
They displace bilirubin from albumin thereby causing kernicterus in neonates.
Give examples of sulfonamide antibiotics:
Sulfamethoxazole; sulfacetamide; sulfisoxazole; sulfadiazine (only available in the United States in combination with pyrimethamine); sulfadoxine in combination with pyrimethamine (the antimalarial “Fansidar”)
Name antibiotics that works synergistically with sulfonamides by preventing the next reaction in folate synthesis:
Trimethoprim or pyrimethamine
What is the mechanism of action of trimethoprim?
Competitive inhibitor of dihydrofolic acid reductase (DHFR), the enzyme that converts dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid
What are the adverse effects of trimethoprim?
Leukopenia; granulocytopenia; thrombocytopenia; megaloblastic anemia
The trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combination is most commonly used to treat what type of infections?
Urinary tract infections (UTI) primarily caused by E. coli as well as many upper respiratory infections (URI) such as Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, some nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, most S. aureus strains, Pneumococcus, Haemophilus sp, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. However, up to 30% of UTI and URI pathogenic strains are resistant to this antibiotic combination.
Give examples of how bacteria may become resistant to sulfonamide antibiotics:
Increased concentrations of PABA; decreased binding affinity of target enzymes; uptake and use of exogenous sources of folic acid