What is the difference between an antibiotic and an antibacterial? Antibacterial drugs. Antibiotics for prophylactic purposes

Every day our body encounters a huge variety of microorganisms, many of them are not so harmless. Viruses and pathogenic bacteria can cause serious illness, especially when a person’s immunity is weakened. The body needs help in the fight against “uninvited guests”, which will be provided by natural antibiotics.

Many natural medicines have antibiotic properties, but some have more, some less. Like synthetic medicines, natural remedies have their own spectrum of action. Today we will look at the most powerful natural antibiotics.

Spectrum of antibacterial action of medicinal natural plants and honey

According to research by the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Khabarovsk, head Ph.D. G.N. Chill

Yarrow. Yarrow herb has a bacteriostatic effect (that is, suppresses reproduction) on white staphylococcus, proteus, and enterobacteria. It acts both bactericidal (i.e. kills) and bacteriostatic on E. coli. Weak effect on hemolytic streptococcus.
Wormwood. The herb wormwood acts similarly to yarrow, in addition, it suppresses the proliferation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. But unlike yarrow, it does not act on enterobacteria.
Ledum. Ledum shoots act similarly to yarrow, but do not have a bactericidal effect on E. coli (only suppresses its reproduction).
Tansy. Tansy flowers act in the same way as wild rosemary. In addition, it has a bactericidal effect on micrococci.
The plantain is big. Plantain leaves act similarly to tansy, in addition they kill white staphylococcus and E. coli.
Eleutherococcus. Suppresses the proliferation of white staphylococcus, proteus, E. coli and enterobacteria. Eleutherococcus has a bactericidal effect on Escherichia coli, i.e. kills.
Motherwort pentaloba acts in the same way as eleutherococcus.
Pure honey is a strong natural antibiotic. It acts in the same way as yarrow, but also kills Staphylococcus aureus. According to studies, pure honey mixed with the extract of these plants increases their antibacterial activity several times, adding a bactericidal effect on Staphylococcus aureus. By combining fresh infusions of antibiotic herbs with each other and combining them with honey, you can get an excellent broad-spectrum antibiotic herbal preparation. However, these remedies are very unstable, so they must be taken freshly prepared.
They have a strong bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect on streptococci and staphylococci. sage, calendula, cetraria, celandine, eucalyptus. Eucalyptus has a powerful bactericidal effect on pneumococci, as well as those infections that cause genitourinary diseases in women.

Antiviral herb

According to research from the Institute of Naturopathy Meadowsweet(meadowsweet) has an antiviral effect. This herb can kill the influenza virus and stimulate your own immunity. With timely treatment, meadowsweet grass can even destroy the herpes virus (including genital). This herb shortens the period of ARVI symptoms from 7 days to 3. It has a positive effect on hepatitis and pancreatitis of viral origin. The use of tincture for these diseases significantly improves the condition of patients.

Another antiviral herbal remedy is Black elderberry.
Elderberry flowers successfully fight the influenza virus.

Herbalist: a recipe for a uroantiseptic, which is not inferior in strength to the strongest antibiotics(for cystitis, pyelonephritis, other diseases of the genitourinary system, prostatitis)

Eucalyptus leaf, calendula flowers, St. John's wort herb, echinacea herb, elecampane root - 1 part each;

elderberry flowers, lingonberry leaf, fireweed herb, meadowsweet herb - 2 parts; rose hips - 3 parts.

Mix the dry raw materials, take 1 heaped tablespoon, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water in a thermos. Let it brew. Drink 0.5 glasses before meals, course 1.5 months. It is advisable for men to add fireweed, but for women it is possible without it. When taken in the morning, it is recommended to add 10 drops of Eleutherococcus extract.

Natural antibiotics

Herbalist: a recipe for garlic tincture to stimulate your own immunity after a myocardial infarction

Finely chop or crush 200 grams of garlic, put in a glass jar, pour in 200 ml of 96% alcohol. Place in a cool, dark place for 10 days, shake daily. Strain through a thick cloth. 2-3 days after straining, take in 50 ml of milk at room temperature 1 hour before meals or 2-3 hours after meals according to the following scheme:

1 day morning 1 drop, lunch 2 drops, dinner 3 drops

Day 2: morning 4 drops, lunch 5 drops, dinner 6 drops

Day 3: morning 7 drops, lunch 8 drops, dinner 9 drops

Day 4: morning 10 drops, lunch 11 drops, dinner 12 drops

Day 5: morning 13 drops, lunch 14 drops, dinner 15 drops

Day 6: morning 15 drops, lunch 14 drops, dinner 13 drops

Day 7: morning 12 drops, lunch 11 drops, dinner 10 drops

Day 8 morning 9 drops, lunch 8 drops, dinner 7 drops

Day 9 morning 6 drops, lunch 5 drops, dinner 4 drops

Day 10 morning 3 drops, lunch 2 drops, dinner 1 drop

Inhalation with garlic: During an epidemic, a little trick will help. Every day, when you come home from work, the first thing you do is wash your hands, put the kettle on to boil and finely chop the garlic or onion. Rinse the teapot specially designated for the procedure with boiling water. Place the garlic/onion there and close the lid. Warm the kettle slightly in the microwave (for a second) or on low heat on the stove. Inhale the resulting vapor through the kettle spout through your mouth and nose. Such inhalation will help neutralize pathogenic microbes in the respiratory tract and protect against infection.

Phytotherapist: recipe for infectious diseases

2 teaspoons of cetraria per 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Drink 2 tablespoons 5 times a day before meals.

Phytotherapist: recipe for infections, for healing the liver, pancreas, lungs, restoring normal intestinal microflora

250 grams of kefir, 1 tablespoon of cetraria, a teaspoon of honey, mix thoroughly, let it brew for 15 minutes and drink for dinner.

Ginger.
Ginger roots not only have a spicy taste, but also powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties.
Onion contains phytoncides, vitamins and other substances with antibiotic activity. Onions should be consumed raw during colds and beyond. During the flu season, onion particles are placed in rooms to prevent the spread of infection.
Essential oils(rosemary, tea tree, cloves, eucalyptus, sage, etc.) Essential oils of many plants are the strongest natural antibiotics. The spectrum of action of essential oils is wide. In addition to antibacterial properties, they have antiviral and antifungal activity. To prevent and treat infectious diseases, they do inhalations with essential oils, aroma baths, and use aroma lamps to disinfect the air in rooms. in large doses it is poisonous, and in small doses it is an antiseptic. For tonsillitis, a drop of pine resin is dissolved in the mouth. Turpentine is made from resin, which is used to take baths for colds, radiculitis, and exacerbation of urolithiasis.
Poplar buds, birch buds, aspen buds- good natural antibacterial agents.

Herbalist: recipe

Take 2 parts of poplar buds, 1 part of birch buds, 1 part of aspen buds, fill with vodka 1:10, leave for 2 weeks. Take 30 drops diluted in water as an analgesic, regenerating, antibacterial agent. Treats cystitis, pyelonephritis.

You need to know that these drugs are not suitable for primary therapy. Natural antibiotics are often used for prevention, additional treatment, and rehabilitation after infectious diseases. In cases of severe, advanced infections, as well as with a pronounced decrease in immunity, the use of medicinal antibacterial and antiviral drugs cannot be avoided.

At one time, ordinary hygiene rules made a real revolution in the approach to infection prevention. Even regular hand washing has significantly reduced the spread of many diseases, including intestinal disorders and purulent lesions. Personal hygiene products are constantly being improved, and today the market is overflowing with products with antibacterial effects. We will tell you how effective they are, when they should be used, and in which cases it is better to refuse.

Antibacterial hygiene products are products containing substances that are antibacterial agents. Most often, triclosan plays this role - a broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal component. Most fungi that infect the skin, as well as bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, are sensitive to it.

Some products contain an analogue of triclosan - triclocarban. Also, the antiseptic chlorhexidine, the antimicrobial drug metronidazole and others can act as an antibacterial agent. However, they are significantly inferior in effectiveness to triclosan, so they are used less frequently.

Antibacterial hygiene products can be:

Soap (liquid and solid).
Shampoos.
Body gels.
Gels for intimate hygiene.
Deodorants.
Toothpastes.
Mouth rinses.
Wet wipes.
Hand sprays.

Triclosan is also included in many household chemicals, and in this case they will be labeled as antibacterial. These can be surface cleaning gels, toilet bowl cleaners and even washing powders.

Bacteria are the main cause of many serious diseases. Some types of these microorganisms produce exotoxins during their life processes, which today are considered the most dangerous poisons and can provoke severe generalized infections. It is bacteria that cause sepsis, purulent inflammation, severe lung damage, intestinal diseases and many other diseases.

Most often the body is affected by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia coli (the greatest danger to internal organs). However, all these microorganisms can be found on the skin and mucous membranes of a healthy person and do not provoke the development of the disease. Therefore, they are usually classified as opportunistic microflora. This means that with normal immunity and the condition of the skin, microbes do not behave as pathogenic, but are able to get along with other microorganisms and do not affect health. For example, dangerous Staphylococcus aureus is found in every fourth inhabitant of the planet. And streptococcus can even suppress the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella.

By and large, the microflora that lives on the skin and mucous membranes is always opportunistic - among the microorganisms there are colonies of various bacteria. They can cause infections if the balance is disrupted - this will allow microbes to multiply uncontrollably.

Triclosan (and its analogues) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, which means that it does not act selectively. When applied to the skin, all representatives of the microflora are affected, thereby seriously disturbing the established balance. This, in turn, creates favorable conditions for the development of infections. Therefore, hygiene products with an antibacterial effect can cause serious harm to health if used frequently.

Pathogenic microorganisms are capable of developing new defense mechanisms, including against used drugs. This is called resistance - resistance to the active substance. This ability is especially clearly demonstrated by Staphylococcus aureus - one of the most dangerous microbes. Initially, it was easily destroyed by penicillin, but today there are many strains of bacteria that, in the process of evolution, have learned to produce a special enzyme, penicillinase, which simply breaks down the antibiotic.

Every year, more and more bacteria are discovered that are resistant to existing drugs. Doctors attribute this trend to the uncontrolled use of various types of antibacterial agents. By constantly influencing bacterial colonies, a person thereby accelerates their natural selection - already resistant strains survive and further reproduce.

In addition to the general harm caused by triclosan as one of the broad-spectrum antibiotics, the harm of the active substance itself has now been proven. Latest medical news: triclosan should be excluded from liquid and solid soaps. This decision was made by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). Minnesota has removed triclosan from its list of all consumer products. The law will come into force on January 1, 2017.

Such measures were taken based on the results of several studies of the active substance, during which the following conclusions were made:

Triclosan can cause liver cancer. This is due to the fact that it suppresses the androstane receptor, which is involved in removing toxins from the body. As a result, the tissues degenerate into fibrous tissue, which provokes oncology.
Triclosan can cause infertility and negatively affect the course of pregnancy and fetal development. Triclosan can accumulate and has even been found in umbilical cord blood.
The effectiveness of antibacterial products for hands and body during long-term use has not been proven. Bacteria are partially destroyed, and under the influence of the environment their number is quickly restored.

And yet, the use of antibacterial hygiene products is quite justified in some cases.

The antibacterial effect is useful when using various hand cleaning sprays and wet wipes when traveling, hiking, etc. We are talking about temporary use in an environment with a high risk of bacterial infections and limited opportunities for personal hygiene.
The effectiveness of triclosan has been proven in toothpastes. The substance really reduces the risk of developing gingivitis and other inflammations of the oral cavity, and also reduces the formation of tartar.

There is no need to completely abandon antibacterial hygiene products. However, it is still not recommended to use them daily and without significant indications. Like any active substance, antibacterial agents should only be used when clearly needed.

The name “antibacterial drugs” already contains the principle of action, i.e. against bacteria. It is not difficult to guess that such drugs are prescribed only for infectious processes, and their use for viral or allergic attacks is useless, or even harmful.

The concept of “antibiotic” includes a large number of drugs, each of which belongs to a specific pharmacological group. Despite the fact that the principle of action of all antibiotics is the same, the spectrum of action, side effects and other parameters may differ.

Not only semi-synthetic and synthetic antimicrobial agents, but also drugs based on plant and animal material are capable of suppressing pathogenic microflora.

When was the first antibiotic invented?

The first antibacterial drug was penicillin. It was discovered by the famous British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming at the beginning of the twentieth century. For a long time, penicillin could not be obtained in its pure form; later this work was continued by other scientists. It was only during the Second World War that penicillin began to be produced en masse.

Natural antibiotics

If the infectious process is mild and the doctor decides not to use systemic antibacterial drugs, it is recommended to use the following products together with local antimicrobial agents:

These products not only destroy infection, but are also a reliable prevention of other diseases, such as ARVI, influenza, hypertension, pyelonephritis, duodenal ulcer, thrombosis.

How do bactericidal drugs differ from bacteriostatic agents?

Bactericidal drugs completely destroy the bacterial flora, and bacteriostatic agents inhibit its pathological growth. Reducing bacterial growth allows the immune system to independently suppress infection in the body.

On the one hand, bacteriostatic agents seem to train the immune system, but most reinsurers in medicine are inclined to act for sure - to find and neutralize, i.e. prefer broad-spectrum bactericidal drugs.

Antibiotics - classification by groups

Patients are probably of little interest in this issue. The main thing for the patient is to find a good and reliable antibiotic, and at an affordable price, but going into pharmacological knowledge is difficult. But, nevertheless, let's get acquainted with certain basics in this area in order to at least have a little idea of what we use for treatment.

So, there are the following groups of antibiotics:

How to use antibacterial drugs correctly?

Antibiotics are available in all dosage forms. In pharmacies you can buy tablets, solutions, ointments, suppositories and other forms. The choice of the desired form is up to the doctor.

Tablets, drops, capsules are used one to four times a day (according to the instructions). The medications must be washed down with water. For babies, oral medications are recommended in the form of syrup.

Injections are used in complicated cases. The therapeutic effect occurs faster and the drug quickly reaches the site of infection. Before administration, it is necessary to properly prepare the drug; in most cases, the powder with the medicinal substance is diluted with water for injection or lidocaine.

This is interesting! Back in Soviet times, medical schools emphasized that antibiotic injections could be performed without first lubricating the skin with alcohol. This was explained by the fact that antibacterial drugs, when administered, disinfect nearby tissues, and the formation of a post-injection abscess is impossible.

Antibiotics in the form of an ointment are used for infectious lesions of the skin, eyes, ears and other areas.

What is antibiotic sensitivity?

To get into the top ten and select an effective antibacterial agent, you need to determine the sensitivity of the bacteria to antibiotics.

For example, with a sore throat, the source of inflammation is in the throat. The doctor takes a swab from the tonsils and sends the material to a bacteriological laboratory for testing. Bacteriologists determine the type of bacteria (for sore throat, streptococcus or staphylococcus are most often cultured), and then select antibiotics that can destroy the found microorganisms.

Important! If the antibiotic is suitable, then the bacteria is sensitive, if not, it is resistant. Antibacterial therapy for children and adults is prescribed using only sensitive agents.

In diseases such as bronchitis or tuberculosis, the patient’s sputum is needed for research, but it is not always possible to collect it. Then antibacterial drugs with a broad spectrum of action are prescribed.

In what cases are antibiotics powerless?

The effectiveness of antibiotics has only been proven in cases with bacteria and fungi. A number of bacteria belong to opportunistic microflora. A moderate amount of them does not cause disease. When the immune system is weakened and these bacteria multiply, the infectious process begins.

ARVI and influenza cannot be treated with antibiotics. Therefore, for these pathologies, antiviral drugs, homeopathy and traditional methods are used.

Even coughs caused by viruses will not go away with antibiotics. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to make an accurate diagnosis, and bacterial culture has to wait at least five days. Only then will it be clear what we are dealing with, a bacteria or a virus.

Compatibility of alcohol and antibacterial agents

The combined use of any medications and alcohol “load” the liver, which leads to chemical overload of the organ. Patients complain of poor appetite, unpleasant taste in the mouth, nausea and other symptoms. A biochemical blood test may reveal an increase in ALT and AST.

In addition, alcohol reduces the effectiveness of medications, but the worst thing is the possibility of unforeseen complications: seizures, coma, and even death. You should not take risks and conduct experiments on your health. Think about what is more important to you - a drunk glass or a quick recovery without “surprises”.

Pregnancy and antibiotics

In the life of a pregnant woman, sometimes she has to deal with taking antibiotics. Of course, experts are trying to find the safest possible treatment for the expectant mother, but it happens that the infection takes over and there is no way to do without antibiotics.

The most dangerous period of gestation is the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The formation of all organs and systems of the future organism is underway (embryonic period), and the baby's place (placenta) is only in the growth phase. Therefore, this period is considered the most vulnerable to all external factors. The danger lies in the possibility of developing fetal malformations.

Only a doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to a pregnant woman, having necessarily coordinated the therapy with the obstetrician-gynecologist managing the pregnancy. Drugs from the group of penicillins, macrolides or cephalosporins are offered. Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides are prohibited during pregnancy. Levomycin, tetracycline, roxithromycin, clarithromycin are also contraindications.

Pathologies such as sepsis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, gonorrhea and others require the mandatory use of antibiotics during gestation.

Is it possible to take prophylactic antibiotics?

Unfortunately, uncontrolled use of antibiotics is a common occurrence. When we are tormented by a cough, snot, elevated body temperature, and all these phenomena do not go away after 3-5 days, let’s be honest, anxiety begins to appear, and suddenly something serious is happening to the body.

To be on the safe side, advanced patients self-prescribe medications, arguing that taking antibiotics is a way to prevent complications after ARVI. Indeed, such a situation can occur, but, in most cases, the unreasonable use of antibiotics only prevents the body from overcoming a dangerous virus.

Only the presence of infection in the body requires antibacterial drugs, and no prevention, just in case.

If there is still a suspicion that a bacterial environment has joined the viral infection, you should urgently take a general blood test with a formula. Based on the results of the analysis, it will be clear whether the patient has “viral” or “bacterial blood.”

For example, if lymphocytes and monocytes predominate (increase), the doctor will prescribe antiviral therapy. If leukocytosis and an increase in band granulocytes are observed, we can talk about bacteria.

But there are still situations when taking antibiotics is indicated as preventative therapy, let’s consider them:

preoperative preparation (if necessary);
emergency prevention of gonorrhea and syphilis (unprotected sex);
open wound surfaces (to prevent wound contamination);
other.

Negative effects of taking antibiotics

It is impossible to predict 100% how an antibiotic will behave in a given situation. It is encouraging that, as a rule, short-term courses of up to 7-10 days do not cause severe complications. The most common side effects are nausea, lack of appetite, diarrhea and allergic reactions.

Quite often, especially with penicillins, patients develop skin rashes. Rarely, Quincke's edema develops (to any antibiotic).
The toxic effect of antibiotics can affect the functioning of the hearing and visual apparatus. The organs of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, skeletal and genitourinary systems can also work with abnormalities.
For example, with long-term therapy for tuberculosis, toxic hepatitis often develops. The liver increases in size, changes its structure (visible by ultrasound), a pathological complex of symptoms occurs: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gastralgia, lack of appetite, yellowness of the skin.

Long-term use of antibiotics may result in the development of pseudomembranous colitis, fungal infections of internal organs and the oral cavity.

You should also not ignore such side effects as:

immune suppression;
superinfection;
Jarisch-Herxheimer bacteriolysis;
disruption of metabolic processes due to weakening of the function of the small and large intestines;
the emergence of antibiotic-resistant forms of microorganisms.

Antibacterial agents in pediatric practice

The purpose of prescribing antibacterial agents in pediatrics is no different from taking them in adults. It’s just that for adults the doses are described in detail, but for children, especially the smallest ones, you have to calculate the dosage in relation to the child’s body weight.

Syrup is the most popular form in pediatrics; tablets and capsules are more often prescribed to schoolchildren and adult patients. Injectable drugs can be prescribed from the first months of a child’s life for severe infections. All dosage calculations are carried out only by a pediatric specialist.

Conclusion

Antibacterial drugs are classified as complex drugs that have a number of contraindications and side effects. All of them have specifics of administration and purpose (after bacterial culture).

Some patients are afraid of antibiotics, believing that taking them will cause great harm to their health. But, do not forget that there are cases when a belated intake of antibacterial agents can result in an irreparable tragedy for the patient.

How often does it happen that a patient is admitted to the department with severe pneumonia, and the doctor has to regret and tell the relatives where the patient was at least a few days ago. This is the reality.

Antibiotics have given many patients a chance to recover from infectious processes. Literally 100 years ago, mortality from common infections was quite high. Therefore, the emergence of antibacterial agents is a great discovery for humanity; the main thing is to use them rationally. Be healthy!

Antibacterial drugs are widely used in practical nephrology for urinary tract infections. These include the following groups of drugs: antibiotics, sulfonamides, nitrofuran derivatives of nalidixic acid, 4-hydroxyquinoline and 8-hydroxyquinoline. Prescribing antibacterial agents taking into account the urine reaction increases their activity by almost 30%. When the urine reaction is acidic (pH 5.0-6.0), the most active are penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, nitrofurans, nalidixic acid, 5-NOC; when the urine reaction is alkaline (pH 7.0-8.5) - gentamicin, streptomycin, erythromycin, Cephaloridine. Levomycetin is effective for any urine reaction.

Meat foods, ascorbic acid, methionine, lemon oxidize urine, plant foods alkalize, and sodium bicarbonate intake.

The most effective antibacterial drugs are antibiotics. These include drugs from the group of penicillin, cephalosporin, tetracycline, macrolides, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, rifampicin, streptomycin, polymyxin.

Drugs of various groups of antibiotics, as a rule, are excreted primarily by the kidneys, which creates a high concentration of drugs in the urine. If kidney function is impaired, drugs may accumulate in the body and exhibit their toxic effects.

Doses of drugs for chronic renal failure depend on their nephrotoxicity. Levomycetin, erythromycin, methicillin, oxacillin, carbenicillin do not have a nephrotoxic effect. In this regard, the dose of these antibiotics does not change when treating patients with chronic renal failure. Penicillin, ampicillin, lincomycin, and rifampicin have slight nephrotoxicity. The dose of these antibiotics is moderately reduced in patients with chronic renal failure.

When treating patients with drugs from the tetracycline group, an increase in azotemia and acidosis is observed, and therefore the administration of these antibiotics to patients with chronic renal failure is not recommended. If it is necessary to use drugs of this group, it is advisable to prescribe the less toxic vibramycin.

It should be remembered that when stored for a long time in a humid, warm room, tetracyclines become especially toxic due to the formation of their transformation product, which damages the kidney tubules with the development of Fanconi syndrome and diabetes insipidus.

The most nephrotoxic antibiotics are the aminoglycoside group (gentamicin, neomycin, tobramycin, etc.) and cephalosporins (zeporin). The combination of cephalosporins with diuretics (furosemide, ethacrynic acid) increases the possibility of their toxic effects. Severe dehydration and severe infection increase the nephrotoxicity of antibiotics and can lead to the development of drug-induced acute renal failure (ARF).

In patients with end-stage renal failure undergoing hemodialysis, the nephrotoxicity of antibiotics may not be taken into account. However, one should remember the possibility of other complications (deafness when using aminoglycosides, streptomycin). All antibiotics can cause acute drug-induced nephritis.

A serious problem is the choice of antibacterial agents for the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria, especially in pregnant women. It is most advisable to begin treatment of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria with sulfonamides, moving, if there is no effect from them, to the sequential use of ampicillin, nitrofurans, negram. During pregnancy, ampicillin (7 days) and nitrofurans (21 days) are prescribed, since these drugs do not have a teratogenic effect.

I.E. Tapeeva, S.O. Androsova, V.M. Epmolenko and others.

The term “antibacterial drugs” itself shows the principle of action directed against bacteria. They are prescribed only for infectious processes; using them for allergies and viruses is useless.

Antibacterial chemicals were originally called synthetic drugs that are created artificially, but have a similar effect to antibiotics in suppressing bacteria.

At that time only sulfonamides were classified as such. With the creation of antibiotics, they were also included in this class.

With the creation of the strongest antibacterial drugs, similar to antibiotics and even superior to them, the concept of antibiotic has expanded and today is used as a synonym for antibacterial agents, which includes everything.

It is not right; antibacterial drugs and antibiotics are different things. Antibiotics are only a component of antibacterial ones.

Antibiotics are essentially substances that some microorganisms produce against others to destroy them. These are natural substances originally.

Antibacterial agents include antibiotics, antiseptics, antimicrobials and antibacterials. Their purpose is to destroy pathogenic microorganisms (germs).

These smallest forms of life arose long before the advent of man and are thriving to this day. The entire environment is populated by billions of bacteria that live both outside and inside the human body.

Microbes include bacteria (they do not have a nucleus), some fungi, protists (they have a nucleus and are familiar to everyone from school - for example, ciliates), archaea. They are not necessarily single-celled, but they are all living.

This is in contrast to viruses and prions (protein structures in tissues that have the ability to reproduce), which can only develop in living host cells. This is why antibiotics cannot affect viruses. They can only be affected by antiviral drugs and some antiseptics. In turn, antiviral drugs are useless for bacterial infections.

Antiseptics - act on all microorganisms, but are used only externally. These include iodine, alcohol, potassium permanganate. They disinfect wounds and prevent decomposition processes.

Antimicrobial agents - can be used both externally and internally (orally, by injection, in suppositories, etc.). These include sulfonamides.

Antibiotics are a narrower group of drugs that are effective against bacteria and protozoa (for example, malarial plasmodia, chlamydia, etc.). They are divided this way: antibacterial and antiprotozoal.

According to the method of use, they also include antiseptics and antimicrobials; for example, Levomycetin, Amoxicillin.

Those antimicrobial and antiseptic drugs that act on fungi are antifungal or antimycotic drugs.

All antibacterial drugs include 6 groups:

quinolones;
fluoroquinolones;
nitrofurans;
hydroxyquinolines;
quinoxalines;
sulfonamides.

Their action will be discussed below.

A little history

In 1928, penicillin was discovered by A. Fleming, who discovered it by accident on bread mold and gave it its name. The mold of this fungus destroyed the staphylococcus colonies in the Petri dish. But no one was delighted, because the drug turned out to be very unstable and quickly destroyed.

But only 10 years later, in 1938, a drug was created in which penicillin remained in active form. This was done by the Englishmen from Oxford, Howard Flory and Ernst Chain; they isolated it in its pure form.

The production of this drug began in 1943, and saved the lives of millions of people in the war, turning the course of history. And in 1945 these three scientists received the Nobel Prize.

In the USSR, Krustozin was created in 1942, which turned out to be one and a half times more effective than foreign penicillin. It was created by microbiologist Zinaida Ermolyeva.

Classification

Today, a lot of antibiotics have been created and their classifications are based on the principle of action and chemical structure.

Based on their effects, all antibiotic agents are divided into bacteriostatic and bactericidal. Bacteriostatics – stop the proliferation of bacteria, but do not destroy them.

In the second group, bacteria die and are excreted through the kidneys and feces. Bactericidal activity manifests itself in the suppression of all types of synthesis: proteins, DNA, bacterial cell membranes.

The concept of antibacterial drugs

So, antibacterial agents can be divided as follows:

Quinolones are antibacterial agents, and this also includes fluoroquinolones. They are used successfully for various systemic infectious pathologies.
Fluoroquinolones have a wide spectrum of action. They are not purely antibiotics, although they are close in action. But they have a different origin and structure. Many antibiotics are of natural origin or close to natural analogues. Fluoroquinolones do not have this.
There are 2 generations of these drugs. Some of them are included in the List of Essential Drugs: Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Lomefloxacin, Ofloxacin.
Nitrofurans are also not antibiotics, although they have a bacteriostatic effect. They are used for chlamydia, trichomonas, lamblia, some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In high doses they are bactericidal. Resistance to them rarely develops.
Sulfonamides - have a bacteriostatic effect; They are not antibiotics; they are often prescribed to enhance their effect.
Hydroxyquinolines – inhibit gram-negative bacteria by inhibiting the activity of their enzymes. Used for intestinal and kidney infections, leprosy.
Quinoxalines are bactericidal substances with poorly studied effects.

The classification by chemical structure currently used is as follows:

Beta-lactam antibiotics; they combine 3 subgroups - penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems.
Macrolides are a large group of bacteriostatic antibiotics; the safest in terms of side properties.
Tetracyclines are also bacteriostatic; still remain in the forefront in the treatment of anthrax, tularemia, cholera, brucellosis.
Aminoglycosides - have bactericidal properties. Prescribed for sepsis, peritonitis. Highly toxic.
Levomycetins are bacteriostatics; they are toxic to the bone marrow, so they are used limitedly.
Glycopeptide antibiotics are bactericidal; but on known cocci they act only bacteriostatically.
Lincosamides are bacteriostatics in a therapeutic dose. In high doses they exhibit a bactericidal effect.
Anti-tuberculosis drugs are effective against Koch's bacillus. Based on the strength of action, they are divided into most, moderately and lowly effective.
Antibiotics of different groups - Fuzidin sodium, PolymyxinM, Gramicidin, Rifamycin, etc. They are used quite infrequently, therefore they remain effective in the treatment of intestinal infections, throat infections, etc.
Antifungal antibiotics - the spectrum of action is limited to fungi, they destroy the membrane of fungal cells. They have no effect on other pathogens.
Anti-leprosy drugs - rarely used, only for the treatment of leprosy - Diucifon, Solusulfon, etc.

Methods of administration

Antibiotics are available in tablets, ampoules, ointments, sprays, drops, suppositories and syrup. Accordingly, there are different methods of application.

The frequency of administration and duration are prescribed by the doctor. Syrups are mainly prescribed to young children. Methods of administration: oral; injection; local.

Local application can be external, intranasal, intravaginal, rectal. Injection forms are used for moderate to severe infections. In these cases, the antibiotic enters the blood quickly, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract.

All details are discussed by the doctor and do not depend on the patient’s knowledge. For example, Abaktal is diluted before administration with glucose; physical the antibiotic solution destroys, and, therefore, the treatment will not be effective.

Otherwise, it is unacceptable to self-medicate, although there are detailed instructions for their use.

The duration of treatment is at least 7-10 days, even despite the improvement in health.

Antibiotic sensitivity

Uncontrolled use of antibiotics today has led to the fact that they are often ineffective. This happens because bacteria become resistant to these agents.

Therefore, in order to immediately get into the top ten, it is necessary to identify the type of pathogen and the sensitivity of the pathogen to a particular antibiotic.

For this purpose, a cultural diagnostic method is used using the method of bacterial inoculation. This is ideal. But it often happens that help is needed quickly, and culture will reveal the result in a few days.

In such cases, the doctor empirically, assuming a possible pathogen, prescribes the antibiotic that has proven to be the most effective in the given region.

Most often, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used for this. If the analysis is ready by then, it becomes possible to replace the antibiotic with the desired one if the prescribed one did not produce an effect within 3 days.

Possible mechanisms of resistance

The mechanism of resistance may be as follows:

Microorganisms can mutate if not properly treated, and the reactions that the antibiotic blocks become indifferent to the pathogen.
The pathogen can surround itself with a protective capsule and become impenetrable to the antibiotic.
The bacterium does not have a structure vulnerable to antibiotics.
A bacterium may have an antibiotic-degrading enzyme at the chemical formula level, which converts the drug into a latent form (staphylococci, for example, contain a lactamase that destroys penicillins).

Are antibiotics always effective?

Antibiotics can only destroy bacteria, fungi and protozoa; for viruses, their use is inappropriate. That is why antibiotics do not work for ARVI, since 99% of ARVI are viral in origin.

And this is also why antibiotics are effective for sore throats, since they are caused by streptococci and staphylococci. The same picture is observed with pneumonia. 80% of them are caused by bacteria. For viral pneumonia, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent the addition of a secondary infection at the end of antiviral therapy.

Antibiotics and alcohol

If a person uses alcohol and antibiotics together, he first of all attacks his liver, since all antibacterial agents are decomposed by the liver, like alcohol.

In addition, some drugs themselves can combine with alcohol through chemical reactions and reduce their effectiveness. Among such agents are Trichopolum, Cefaperazone, Levomycetin, etc.

Antibiotics during pregnancy

Treatment of pregnant women with antibiotics is always difficult, since the teratogenicity of the prescribed drug is taken into account. In the 1st trimester, their use is completely excluded; in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters they can be prescribed, but with caution and in exceptional cases. During these weeks, the baby’s main organs are already formed, but there is always a risk of adverse effects.

It is impossible for the expectant mother not to use antibiotics if she is diagnosed with: tonsillitis, pyelonephritis, infected wound, sepsis, pneumonia, STIs; specific infections: borelliosis, brucellosis, TB, etc.

Can be prescribed during pregnancy

Penicillins, cephalosporins, Josamycin and Erythromycin, Azithromycin, Gentamicin do not have a teratogenic effect (the last 2 drugs can be used for health reasons). Cephalosporins cross the placenta very little to harm the fetus.

Not prescribed during pregnancy:

aminoglycosides (can cause congenital deafness);
clarithromycin and roxithromycin (toxic to the fetus);
fluoroquinolones;
metronidazole (teratogenic);
amphotericin (causes fetal growth retardation and miscarriages);
tetracyclines (disturbs the formation of the fetal skeletal system);
chloramphenicol (inhibits fetal bone marrow).

Why is there so little information about the effects of antibiotics on the fetus? Because such experiments on humans are prohibited. And the metabolism of humans and laboratory animals is not 100% the same, so the results may vary.

What are the consequences?

In addition to the antibacterial effect, antibiotics have a systemic effect on the body, so there are always side effects.

These include:

hepatotoxicity;
toxic-allergic reactions; dysbacteriosis;
decreased immunity (this is especially important in children);
effects on the kidneys;
development of pathogen resistance, especially with inadequate treatment;
superinfection - when, in response to the introduction of an antibiotic, those microorganisms that were resistant to it are activated and they cause a new disease in addition to the existing one.

Also, during antibacterial therapy, vitamin metabolism is disrupted due to inhibition of the microflora of the large intestine, where some vitamins are synthesized.

A more rare, but complex and dangerous reaction is the Jarisch-Herxheimer bacteriolysis reaction. It can occur with the massive death of bacteria from a bactericidal antibiotic with the same massive release of their toxins into the blood. The downstream reaction resembles ITS.

Allergic reactions can lead to anaphylactic shock; This is why injecting antibiotics at home is dangerous; here you will not be able to provide emergency care to the patient.

Taking antibacterial drugs affects the gastrointestinal tract and most often this manifests itself in the inhibition of intestinal microflora, which is expressed by diarrhea syndrome and disrupts metabolism in general. This is dysbacteriosis, the scientific name of which is antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Therefore, along with antibacterial therapy, pre- and probiotics should always be prescribed.

Antibiotics for prophylactic purposes

Many internet-savvy young mothers, at the slightest sign of a cold, immediately start taking antibiotics themselves and giving them to their children. This is a grave mistake.

Antibiotics have no prophylactic effect. If there is no pathogen, you will get nothing except side effects. Antibacterial and antimicrobial drugs for children in the treatment of infections are used today unambiguously, but only when its bacterial origin is identified.

Preventative antibiotics can be prescribed in a hospital only during surgical operations to prevent the development of a secondary infection; The maximum dose is administered half an hour before surgery once. Without purulent complications after surgery, antibacterial therapy is not prescribed.

The second case is the administration of an antibiotic in the presence of an infected wound. The purpose of this is to suppress the infection before it manifests itself.

And the third point is for emergency prevention (unprotected sex - for the prevention of syphilis and gonorrhea).

Rules for antibiotic treatment:

Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor.
Antibiotics are not indicated for viral infections.
Completely comply with the course of treatment; don't stop on your own. Take at the same time of day.
Do not adjust the dosage yourself.
Take antibiotic tablets with water only; milk, tea, soda - do not use.
There should be an equal time interval between doses of the drug.
During treatment, physical activity and training are excluded.
Antibacterial drugs for a child are prescribed only taking into account his body weight and age. This is the prerogative of the pediatrician.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

It is carried out only when the specified bacteria is detected on the gastric mucosa:

Powerful drugs against this type of bacteria are: Clarithromycin - a macrolide with high anti-Helicobacter activity; dissolves in the stomach environment and blocks bacterial synthesis processes. Also has an anti-inflammatory effect. It has a minimum of side effects and is well tolerated. Its analogues are Macropen, Fromilid, Binoclair, etc.
Amoxicillin is a bactericidal drug. For Helicobacter, it is combined with Metronidazole. Analogues - Augmentin, Amoxil.
Azithromycin is a 3rd generation macrolide. It is soluble in the acidic environment of the stomach and is well tolerated. Analogues - Azamax, Brilid, Sumamed, etc.
Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone; bactericidal drug against Helicobacter. Analogues - Glevo, Lebel, Ivacin, Levoxin. They are quite toxic and therefore require careful use.
Metronidazole is an antimicrobial agent, not an antibiotic. Bactericidal, prescribed in combination with other antibiotics.
Pilobact is a combination drug for the treatment of pylori. It contains Clarithromycin, Tinidazole and Omez (antacid). Each component suppresses the vital activity of Helicobacter pylori.

Antibiotics in gynecology

Only broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs are used. They are used in conjunction with other medications to avoid side effects. For example, the use of antibiotics and OCs leads to unplanned pregnancy.