Sketchy Pharm: Clindamycin

Question 1

Clindamycin is bacteri-_____________.

Answer 1

ostatic; remember: of the ribosome-targeting antibiotics, only aminoglycosides are bactericidal

(Think of the jammed typewriter on the front desk of the gym.)

Question 2

Which bacteria is clindamycin effective against?

Answer 2

Gram-positive (like the purple dumbbells stacked behind the guy at the bench press) and anaerobic bacteria (like the guy with the gas mask and the name of the gym: Anaerobix)

Question 3

What types of tissues does clindamycin penetrate well?

Answer 3

Soft tissues

(This is represented by the guy with the pie: the pie symbolizes pyogenes and the oven mitts symbolize erysipelas and cellulitis.)

Question 4

Importantly, clindamycin is used for _________ abscesses.

Answer 4

MRSA (like the “No Mercy” chest tattoo on the guy spotting at the bench)

Question 5

Why is clindamycin often used for aspiration pneumonia?

Answer 5

There are a couple reasons:

(1) Aspiration pneumonia often leads to abscesses, and clindamycin is able to penetrate abscesses
(2) Aspiration pneumonia is frequently caused by Gram-positive bacteria – like Streptococcus –or anaerobic bacteria –like Bacteroides

(Think of the guy with the gas mask wearing the shirt with holes over his lungs; this represents lung abscesses.)

Question 6

What is symbolized by the guy drinking the sports drink?

Answer 6

He’s drinking “Bacterade,” which symbolizes BACTERoides. This helps you remember that clindamycin is often used in oral infections with Bacteroides.

Question 7

Clindamycin is often used to cover ____________, caused by road-rash style injuries.

Answer 7

Clostridium perfringens

Think of the guy who fell off the stationary bike and PERForated his pants.

Question 8

Like tetracyclines, clindamycin is often used to treat _______________.

Answer 8

acne (like the painting of the alps in the background)

Question 9

While cephalosporins, macrolides, and tetracyclines are mainly used for the treatment of chlamydia, what other pelvic infection does clindamycin treat?

Answer 9

Infections of the endometrium (when used with gentamicin)

(There are two mnemonics here: “You ‘GENTly CLeaN; the uterus.” And Sketchy has a person in a judo outfit with SAIs working out on a uterus-shaped resistance machine.)

Question 10

Bacterial vaginosis is most often caused by a bacterium that is treatable with clindamycin: _______________.

Answer 10

Gardnerella vaginalis

Think of the GARDEn of venus fly traps with red openings.

Question 11

The classic side effect of clindamycin is _________________.

Answer 11

pseudomembranous colitis (although this can be caused by any antibiotic)

(Think of the fountain of poop shooting out of the toilet.)