CHAPTER 12: DRUGS, MICROBES, HOST – THE ELEMENTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY

This set of flashcards covers key terms and definitions related to chemotherapy and antimicrobial therapy, helpful for understanding the mechanisms, classification, and effects of various antimicrobial agents.

Antimicrobial drugs

Drugs that destroy infective agents without harming host cells, produced naturally or synthetically.

Ideal Antimicrobial Drug

A drug that is selectively toxic to the microbe but nontoxic to host cells, remains potent, complements host defenses, and does not cause allergies.

Chemotherapeutic drug

Any chemical used in the treatment, relief, or prophylaxis of a disease.

Prophylaxis

Use of a drug to prevent potential infection in a person at risk.

Microbicidal

Refers to agents that kill microbes.

Microbistatic

Refers to agents that inhibit the growth of microbes.

Narrow spectrum

Antimicrobials effective against a limited array of microbial types.

Broad spectrum

Antimicrobials effective against a wide variety of microbial types.

Antibiotics

Substances produced by microorganisms that inhibit or destroy other microorganisms.

Penicillin

An antibiotic produced by molds that is effective against many gram-positive bacteria.

Peptidoglycan

A polymer that forms the cell wall of bacteria, providing structural support.

Selective toxicity

The ability of a drug to target microbial cells without harming host cells.

Resistance factors

Genetic elements that can confer drug resistance to bacteria, often carried on plasmids.

Synergistic effect

When the effects of combined antibiotics are greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Superinfection

An infection that occurs after or on top of an earlier infection, often due to alteration of normal flora.

Therapeutic index

The ratio of the toxic dose of a drug to its minimum effective dose, measuring drug safety.

Kirby-Bauer test

A method used to test the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics using agar diffusion.

Folic Acid Metabolism

The metabolic pathway targeted by certain antibiotics to inhibit bacterial growth.

E-test diffusion test

A method that uses a strip with a gradient of antibiotic concentrations to determine bacterial sensitivity.

Virulence factors

Molecules produced by pathogens that contribute to the pathogenicity of the organism.

Aminoglycosides

A class of broad-spectrum antibiotics that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis.

Sulfonamides

Antimicrobial drugs that inhibit bacterial folic acid synthesis.

Vancomycin

An antibiotic effective against gram-positive bacteria, used especially for resistant strains.

Antiviral drugs

Drugs designed to treat viral infections by inhibiting viral replication.