Antimicrobial Medications

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to antimicrobial medications, their mechanisms, effects, and related concepts.

Antibiotic

A type of antimicrobial substance that is effective against bacteria.

Antimicrobial

A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms.

Gram-positive

Bacteria that retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining procedure.

Gram-negative

Bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain and are stained red or pink.

Sulfonamide

The first sulfa drug that acts as a competitive inhibitor to para-aminobenzoic acid.

Penicillin

An antibiotic derived from the mold Penicillium, effective against a range of bacteria.

Selective toxicity

The ability of a drug to harm microbes without causing harm to the host.

Therapeutic index

A measure of a drug's safety; the lowest dose that is toxic to the patient divided by the dose used for therapy.

Zone of inhibition

The area around an antibiotic disc where bacteria cannot grow, indicating susceptibility.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A bacteria that causes tuberculosis, known for its ability to develop resistance to drugs.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics.

Aplastic anemia

A condition where the body cannot produce enough red or white blood cells.

Ergosterol

A component of fungal cell membranes targeted by antifungal drugs.

Folic acid

A vitamin necessary for the production of nucleic acids, which some antimicrobials inhibit.

Polymyxin B

An antibiotic that disrupts the cell membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, used topically.

Kirby-Bauer test

A method that uses antibiotic-containing discs to determine bacterial susceptibility.

E test

A method that uses strips with gradient concentrations of antibiotics to determine susceptibility.

Dysbiosis

Suppression of normal flora due to antibiotic use, leading to imbalances in microbial populations.