Antibiotics and Their Types, Uses and Side Effects
An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. Antibiotics are chemicals produced by or derived from microorganisms (i.e. bugs or germs such as bacteria and fungi). The first antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 in a significant breakthrough for medical science.
Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine.
Some antibiotics are ‘bactericidal’, meaning that they work by killing bacteria. Other antibiotics are ‘bacteriostatic’, meaning that they work by stopping bacteria multiplying.
Penicillin Antibiotics Classification – Uses and Side Effects
Penicillins disadvantages:
acid lability – most of these drugs are destroyed by gastric acid
short duaration of action – because of this short half-life, the penicillins must be administered at short intervals, usually every 4 hours
lack of activity against most Gram-negative organisms
drug hypersensivity – about 10% of population has allergy
many patients experience GI upset
painful if given intramuscularly
Penicillins advantages:
bactericidal against sensitive strains
relatively nontoxic
have excellent tissue penetration
efficacious in the treatment of infections
relatively inexpensive in comparison with other antibiotics.

acid lability – most of these drugs are destroyed by gastric acid
short duaration of action – because of this short half-life, the penicillins must be administered at short intervals, usually every 4 hours
lack of activity against most Gram-negative organisms
drug hypersensivity – about 10% of population has allergy
many patients experience GI upset
painful if given intramuscularly

acid lability – most of these drugs are destroyed by gastric acid
short duaration of action – because of this short half-life, the penicillins must be administered at short intervals, usually every 4 hours
lack of activity against most Gram-negative organisms
Drug interactions
methylprednisolone
terfenadine
theophylline and related compounds
triazolam
Antibiotics for ear infection
Careless use of antibiotics can also lead to more resistant bacteria in the environment, making common infections harder to treat in everyone.
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