Topic 6 -6

Question 1

What is antibiotic resistance

Answer 1

When bacteria develop resistance due to widespread antibiotic use

[Footnote]

It is hard to control and prevent

Question 2

How do mutations and resistance play into this

Answer 2

Rapid bacterial reproduction causes mutations, some mutations make bacteria resistant

[Footnote]
Antibiotics don’t cause mutations

Question 3

How does natural selection play into this

Answer 3

Antibiotics kill non-resistant bacteria, the resistant bacteria survive and multiply

Question 4

What is horizontal transmission

Answer 4

Resistance spreads via plasmids, so bacteria can share these plasmids across species

Question 5

How can you avoid resistance

Answer 5

Use antibiotics only when they are really needed and do the full course of the antibiotic

Question 6

What should hygiene in hospitals look like

Answer 6

Use hand gels, wear clean clothing, regular thorough cleaning of hospital wards, isolate infected patients, screen patients for infections.