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Penicillin and related β-lactam antibiotics cause the death of bacteria through enzyme-mediated lysis that occurs after the drug causes the bacterium to form a defective cell wall. [3] If the cell wall is completely lost and the penicillin was used on gram-positive bacteria , then the bacterium is referred to as a protoplast , but if ...
This inhibition causes the permeability of the cell envelope to increase, cell contents leakage, and eventually cell death. [11] [4] The ability for polypeptide antibiotics to inhibit bacterial cell wall growth and thus bacterial replication, is a main factor in the approach to develop new antibacterial drugs. [11] [12]
It is a contributing factor to the development of antibiotic resistance, including the creation of multidrug-resistant bacteria, informally called "super bugs": relatively harmless bacteria (such as Staphylococcus, Enterococcus and Acinetobacter) can develop resistance to multiple antibiotics and cause life-threatening infections.
Penicillins are a widely used group of medications that are effective for the treatment of a wide variety of bacterial infections in human adults and children as well as other species. Some side effects are predictable, of which some are common but not serious, some are uncommon and serious and others are rare. [ 2 ]
Diagram depicting antibiotic resistance through alteration of the antibiotic's target site, modeled after MRSA's resistance to penicillin. Beta-lactam antibiotics permanently inactivate PBP enzymes, which are essential for cell wall synthesis and thus for bacterial life, by permanently binding to their active sites. Some forms of MRSA, however ...
Loss of the skin leaves patients vulnerable to infections from fungi and bacteria, and can result in sepsis, the leading cause of death in the disease. [13] Death is caused either by infection or by respiratory distress which is either due to pneumonia or damage to the linings of the airway. Microscopic analysis of tissue (especially the degree ...
As bacterial and viral infections can both cause the same kinds of symptoms, it can be difficult to distinguish which is the cause of a specific infection. [11] Distinguishing the two is important, since viral infections cannot be cured by antibiotics whereas bacterial infections can. [12]
It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of such infections. [1] [2] They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity.