Antibiotic Therapy in Critical Illness
نویسنده
چکیده
Antibiotics interfere with the growth of bacteria by undermining the integrity of their cell wall or by interfering with bacterial protein synthesis or common metabolic pathways. The terms bactericidal and bacteriostatic are broad categorizations, and may not apply for a given agent against all organisms, with certain antimicrobials being bactericidal for one bacterial pathogen, but bacteriostatic for another. Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria, generally by inhibiting cell wall synthesis or by interrupting a key metabolic function of the organism. They include the penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, vancomycin, rifampin, and metronidazole. Bacteriostatic agents inhibit bacterial growth, do not interfere with cell wall synthesis, and rely on host defenses to eliminate bacteria. They include the macrolides, tetracycline, sulfa drugs, chloramphenicol, and clindamycin. The distinction between these two types of agents may not be imAntibiotic Therapy in Critical Illness
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