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Ch. 15 - Antimicrobial Drugs
Norman-McKay- Microbiology: Basic and Clinical Principles 2nd Edition
Norman-McKay2nd EditionMicrobiology: Basic and Clinical PrinciplesISBN: 9780137661619Non è quello che usi tu?Cambia libro di testo
Capitolo 11, Problema 1

A broad-spectrum drug is best described as
a. bactericidal against a wide range of species.
b. bacteriostatic against a wide range of species.
c. effective against a wide range of species.
d. empiric therapy.
e. selectively toxic.

Guida verificata passo dopo passo
1
Step 1: Understand the term 'broad-spectrum drug' in microbiology. It refers to an antimicrobial agent that is effective against a wide variety of microbial species, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, or sometimes even other types of microbes.
Step 2: Review the options given: (a) bactericidal against a wide range, (b) bacteriostatic against a wide range, (c) effective against a wide range, (d) empiric therapy, and (e) selectively toxic.
Step 3: Differentiate between bactericidal and bacteriostatic. Bactericidal drugs kill bacteria, while bacteriostatic drugs inhibit their growth. Both can be broad-spectrum or narrow-spectrum, so these terms alone do not define 'broad-spectrum'.
Step 4: Consider 'empiric therapy' which refers to treatment given before the exact cause is known, often using broad-spectrum drugs, but it is a treatment approach, not a drug description.
Step 5: Recognize that 'selectively toxic' means the drug targets microbes without harming the host, which is a desirable property but not synonymous with broad-spectrum activity. Therefore, the best description of a broad-spectrum drug is that it is effective against a wide range of species.

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Concetti chiave

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Broad-spectrum drug

A broad-spectrum drug is an antimicrobial agent effective against a wide variety of microbial species, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is used when the specific pathogen is unknown or when multiple types of bacteria are involved in an infection.
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Bactericidal vs. Bacteriostatic

Bactericidal drugs kill bacteria directly, while bacteriostatic drugs inhibit bacterial growth and reproduction, allowing the immune system to eliminate the infection. Both types can be broad-spectrum or narrow-spectrum depending on their range of activity.
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Empiric therapy

Empiric therapy refers to the use of antibiotics based on clinical judgment and experience before specific pathogen identification. It often involves broad-spectrum drugs to cover likely pathogens until lab results guide targeted treatment.