Broad-spectrum antibiotic

The term broad-spectrum antibiotic refers to an antibiotic that acts against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria.[1] A broad-spectrum antibiotic acts against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, in contrast to a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, which is effective against specific families of bacteria.[2] An example of a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic is ampicillin.[2]

Uses

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are properly used in the following medical situations:

Risks

As a side-effect, antibiotics can change the body's normal microbial content by attacking indiscriminately both the pathological and naturally occurring, beneficial or harmless bacteria found in the intestines, lungs and bladder.[3] The destruction of the body's normal bacterial flora provides an opportunity for drug-resistant microorganisms to grow vigorously and can lead to a secondary infection such as Clostridium difficile[2] (also known as "C. diff") or Candidiasis (also known as "thrush") in females. This side-effect is more likely with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.[3]

Examples

In humans:

In veterinary medicine, co-amoxiclav, (in small animals); penicillin & streptomycin and oxytetracycline (in farm animals); penicillin and potentiated sulfonamides (in horses).

See also

References

  1. Clayton L. Thomas, ed. (1993). Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (17th ed.). F. A. Davis Co. ISBN 0-8036-8313-8.
  2. 1 2 3 S. J. Hopkins (1997). Drugs and Pharmacology for Nurses (12th ed.). Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0-443-05249-2.
  3. 1 2 E. A. Martin (2003). Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (6th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860753-9.
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