Week 6 and 7 Micro Flashcards
(119 cards)
Types of antibiotic use (Guided vs Empirical vs prophylactic)
Guided: Based on identifying cause of infection, choosing antibiotic based on selectivity testing
Empirical: Best (educated) guess, based on clinical/epidiemological acumen
Prophylactic: preventing before it starts
Narrow vs Broad spectrum
Spectrum: range of bacterial species that an antibiotic can effectively treat
Narrow: Effective against a limited range of bacteria. Useful when infection is known. Limited effect on colonising bacteria
Broad: Effective against wide range bacteria. Treat most causes of infection. But, marked effect on colonising bacteria
Antibiotic action
Bactericial: Sterilises site of infection. Lysis bacteria can lead to toxin release and inflammation
Bacteriostatic: Suppresses growth of bacteria but does not sterilise site of infection. Requires additional factors to clear bacteria.
Antibiotics safe and unsafe in pregnancy
Considered safe:
Most B-lactams
Macrolides
Anti-tuberculants
Unsafe:
Trimethoprim: neural tube defects in 1st trimester Nitrofurantoin: haemolytic anaemia in 3rd trimester Aminoglycisides: ototoxicity in 2/3rd trimester Tetracyclines: bone/teeth abnormalities Quinolones: bone/joint abnormalities
Inherent vs. Acquired resistance
Inherent: bacteria naturally lack a pathway or target which the drug can interact with
Acquired: antibiotic that was previously sensitive not anymore, as bacteria become resistance by inheriting genetic information
4 mechanisms bacteria can use to be resistant to antibiotics
- Produce enzymes e.g. B-lactams
- Change drug target e.g methylation of 23S ribosomal subunit (resistant to erthyromycin)
- Decrease cell permeability (downregulate porins)
- Export drug out from inside cell (pseudomonas produces efflux pump)
4 ways bacteria gain resistance
- Chromosomal mutation
- Gain mobile piece of DNA (plasmid, integron which contains resistance)
- Transformation: bacteria gains genetic information from environment
- Transduction: pieces of DNA transferred between bacteria from virus
Gene transfer
Vertical transfer: parent bacteria passes on genetic information to progeny by binary fission
- spontaneous mutation - occurs less often than transfer of mobile pieces of DNA
Horizontal transfer: mobile pieces of DNA transferred other than traditional reproduction
- Conjugation: requires cell-cell contact between bacteria, and plasmids (circular, double stranded DNA) transferred (which contain information for resistance). Most important horizontal transfer.
- Transduction: pieces of DNA transferred by virus (bacteriophages - viruses which infect bacteria)
- Transformation - when bacteria die, can release DNA. Some bacteria can take up DNA and insert it into their chromosome.
Fitness cost
Antibiotics attack the biological function of the bacteria, so bacteria develop mutations but can lead to a slower growth rate - fitness cost. In a non-selective environment, slower-growing bacteria can be outgrown by wild-type bacteria and die. However, in a selective pressure environment e.g. hospital, the importance of these mutations outweighs the drawback of the slower growth rate, so these bacteria will survive, So increase selection pressure can lead to increased resistance
MRSA
Bacteria strains which resistant to all B-lactams. MecA gene encodes for a variant of the normal penicillin binding protein (allows crosslinking of peptidoglycans in cell wall) which have a decreased affinity for methicillin. So, these bacteria still produce a cell wall, even in presence of B-lactams

Gram -ve bacilli (pink)
E.g. E.Coli, pseudomomas
B-lactamase inhibitors
Clavulanate
Tazobactam
Bind to B-lactamses, allowing B-lactam drugs to work
Coliforms
Gut commensals - Gram -ve bacilli which live in gut e.g. E.coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter
Also cause UTI, HAP, intra-abdominal sepsis
Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamses
Pseudomonas
Has modifying enzymes and porin down regulation
4 efflux pumps, which one is always expresses so more resistant to antiobiotics than other gram -ves
ESBLs (extended spectrum beta lactamases)
Plasmid encoded resistant, so can hydrolyse Beta -lactam ring in penicillins and cephalosporins
Treatment: Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Meropenem,
Carbapenemases
Hydrolydse meropenems via enzyme, AmpC, and causes porin loss
Ways to reduce resistance
Use narrow spectrum antibiotics
Follow emperical guidelines
Short courses e.g. UTI - 3 days
Infection control for patients who are infected
Non-genetic mechanisms of resistance
- Abscess formation
- Bacteria in resting stage e.g. TB
- Foreign body e.g. biofilms - bacteria in close proximity so can transfer genetic material which contain resistance
Which bacteria has developed resistance to Carbapenems?
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Antibiotic pescribing steps
Is it required?
Which one?
How should it be administered?
How long?
Adjunctive measures?
Review
When not to give antibiotics
Viral
Self-limiting respiratory tract infections
Uncomplicated UTI
Ingrown toe nails
Systemic inflammatory response e.g. cancer
Symptoms of infection
General:
Fever, sweats, rigors
Localising:
Dysuria
Cough+green/brown sputum, creps
Erythema, heat, swollen
Antibiotics for uncomplicated UTI, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), mild cellulitis
Uncomplicated UTI: trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin
LRTI: Amoxillin, doxycycline
Mild cellulitis: flucoxacillin, doxycyline
Severe:
IV combination e.g. B-lactam + gentamicin
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