 Topic 6.3- Antibacterials Presentation by Dina Goodman Antibacterials - Chemicals which prevent the growth and multiplication of bacteria; eg: dye trypan red (sleeping sickness), salvarsan (syphilis), prontosil (strep), then penicillin Antibiotic resistance – Occurs when a prokaryote has the ability of withstanding the effects of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance occurs by way of natural selection (mechanism of evolution) acting upon random mutation or evolutionary stress on a population.

Patient Compliance  To effectively treat diseases such as tuberculosis, it is important for the patients to adhere strictly to a treatment regime of a “cocktail” of several antibiotics, to prevent the risk of further resistance developing.  Some can be allergic to some or all forms of penicillin. Symptoms include skin rashes and fever. In more serious cases, anaphylactic shock, which is sometimes fatal, can occur. Therefore, any allergies (especially to penicillin) should be reported prior to prescription.  Furthermore antibiotics should be taken full term- even if all symptoms have gone away.

The Effect of Penicillin Overdose  Risk of tolerance  Beneficial Increased pencillin dosages can can destroy bacteria that is beneficial to the body: eg. Human flora  More resistant strains begin to build up  Superbugs becoming more of a health problem. Eg: Staphylococcus aureus, and the penicillin vancomycin to which it may soon become resistant.

Resistance passed through livestock  Antibiotics are often given to livestock e.g. cows, pigs, chicken, shrimp) in order to prevent disease.  However the drugs are passed on through meat and dairy products to humans, causing the development of more resistant bacteria.